In the Hands of the Cold Future
by Liuny
Summary: When everything seemed lost, Merlin's magic did the unthinkable. Now everyone in Camelot have a second chance to do everything right. Time-travel. Slash. Merlin/Arthur.
1. Looking Back

**In the Hands of the Cold Future**

**Summary:** When everything seemed lost, Merlin's magic did the unthinkable. Now everyone in Camelot have a second chance to do everything right. Time-travel. Slash. Merlin/Arthur.

**Disclaimer:** _Merlin is **not** mine. I just use this world's characters to amuse myself when I'm bored. No harm in that, right?_

**WARNINGS:** I don't have a BETA and I make the stupidest mistakes possible in the English language. So, feel free to point every mistake you see, just don't be an _**ass **_about it and I shall correct them when I can.

**Chapter I:** Looking Back.

Merlin appeared in the middle of nowhere with his sword still high. Trees surrounded him and something familiar that shouldn't be there, _was._ Merlin frowned and put his sword down cautiously, always looking with both (his human and magical) sights on, searching for the enemy; curiously though: the forest was silent, the trees were peaceful and the environment calm. He could almost cut his hand and say that he was in Ealdor. But how could that be possible? Ealdor's wood burned (killing everyone) after some unknown enemy decided to resurrect Nimueh and then command the bitch to unleash for the second time Cornelius Sigan, so they could ally themselves with Mordred and Morgana along their renegade group.

When war exploded, Arthur was heartbroken because Guinevere and Lancelot decided to elope after four years of a really hard marriage; this one betrayal was the punch that threw him to the ground to never stand up again; so he was more of a nuisance than help. By the time the queen and the first knight had left them, Merlin was playing pretend to be High King Arthur and trying in the best of his abilities to rule Camelot, while still being technically a _servant. _He didn't do much of service in those times, though. He did discover how much he hated giving orders to people.

Eventually Camelot's subjects took the hint and mysteriously began to call him _Lord _without much of a thought. Arthur's people realizing the futility of their actions began to addressing him directly; instead of the King whom had decided to lock himself up in his room, pretty much like his father; the former King had done before his demise, leaving the throne outright empty and begging for being claimed by their enemies. It was then when things began to spin out of control and he needed to take control of Camelot more _officially._ He revealed himself to be _Emrys,_ Priest and Child of the Old Religion and with the power that title bestowed him; he declared that until Camelot's rightful King returned to the throne, it would his to keep.

No one even uttered a word. Half of the people cheered that they had a legal authority figure to fall to and the other half were too scared of him to protest his decision. In the long run everyone was ok with him being Camelot's keeper.

It became too much, right to the point where he wanted to kill himself… he had said so to Gaius when the pressure of being _King_ of a Camelot destroyed by war, took his toll on him. His mentor just held him in those nightmarish nights, in the middle of the current breakdown; urging him to be strong… because he was what was left between Camelot and the evil: the first line of Camelot's defense. He was Emrys no more, he was now: Camelot's first line defense. He was Arthur's voice, panacea to the people; strategist to the army and commander to the Guild of Sorcerers that he created to counter strike the _Evil Magic. _He didn't know in how long he had not sleep more than three hours at night (when he was lucky). He literally was living by the force of magic…

His feet gave him away and he wound up in the ground and then he did what he had not allowed himself to do, since Arthur fell into catatonia; so many years ago. He cried, he cried like a little child; he cried for Will, for Morgana; for his mother, for Arthur; for Gwaine, for Gwen and Lancelot and for some many people that died in this pointless war.

He had cried until the sun was shining no more in the sky. He felt _drained_, _emptiness_ taking possession of his body; like if anything could matter anymore. He felt like he had lost.

"Merlin! Merlin, hon! Answer me, baby! Where are you! Come on, sweetie!"

"Mum?" Merlin breathed and suddenly his rage flared. What kind of sick joke was this?

"Merlin! Thank the Gods, what are you still doing here with this weather? Are you trying to catch a cold?" Hunith looked at his son, his eyes were flaring gold; two swirling pools of gold were shimmering in fore of his deep blue eyes. "Honey, what are you doing?" The woman, pretending to be his mother said, hugging him and guarding his eyes from everyone's nosy view. "What I have told you about using your magic like this, _Merlin Ambrosious?"_ Well, that was one point for his mother being there; only Arthur knew his middle name (and probably he had confessed it to Gwaine in one of his many drunken nights. "Merlin, have you been crying?" The voice concerned of his mother, the warm of her trepidation; her smell making him feels safe and in home made his tear ran free again. His head was a mess and hurt, it hurt so much that his vision flared white; he knew he was crashing and people suffered when he crashed and neither Gaius nor Gwaine were there to break his fall. He moaned in pain, his fell on his knees and then didn't know more of the world.

1

Hunith had never been so scared for Merlin in her life. She began to cry when his little baby began to writhe in so much pain and his powerful magic began to spin out of control that the only thing she could do was pray to the Gods of the Old Religion that gave her his baby that no one never found about what was happening and that whatever that was happening finish already. She felt her heart broke in little pieces when his beloved son passed out in her arms.

2

Merlin passed three days in a delirious state, in the second day; Hunith panicked and closed her house tight and tried to sort the situation the best she could. Thing flared, floated, exploded, morphed and Merlin was every of her waking hours; trashing and mumbling between terrible nightmares asking for forgiveness and for absolution, it was so heartbreaking; it was making her fret. When Merlin was in a pseudo restful state she had tried to feed him, he puked the food and then, without rest the nightmares began once again.

At the night of the third day, Hunith was tending his son and for the first time in those nightmarish three days, his son looked at her. She smiled, Merlin tried to emulate; before he could mold the smile, he passed out again. She feared that the cycle was to begin again, but Merlin slide into a peaceful rest; she felt that she could breathe again.

3

Merlin was trying to make out what the hell had happened. A few days ago he was breaking down, over the responsibilities of being "King" in the middle of the Great War while the real King was being his normal useless self, mourning his loved ones and now he was _here_, and even Will was alive and he didn't even have gray hair (not that he had many of those anyway, he wasn't that old!) How the hell did that happened? He had tried everything: scrying, asking to the spirits of the forest, opened a portal to Avalon and what he had got? Every single person he had asked, had looked at him the same way, as if he was crazy, which _he wasn't; _because _he wasn't, _so _shut up!_

"Merlin, hon, I can hear you think from here…" He heard that his mother told him. He could not help it; he smiled at her; that of course only made his Mother warier. "Everything's all right?"

"Everything is fine, Mother." Hunith frowned. The manner of speech of his son changed from one day to another without an explanation that she didn't know what to think anymore. It seemed like Merlin was beyond of his actual years, so wise and so tortured, always waiting for the other shoe to fall down, to wake up and the dream and be gone.

"Merlin, since when do you call me 'Mother'?"

"I…" Aha! There was his son, stuttering.

"Merlin, I know that something it's wrong… what is so wrong that you can't talk to me?"

"It is not that I do not want to talk to you, Mother. It is that I do not understand the situation myself."

"What situation, Merlin? There _is _not situation."

"So everyone say…" Merlin muttered, mutinous; under his breath. He still didn't believe he was not trapped in some sick illusion, and when he was able to break free: Morgana and Nimueh and Sigan and Mordred and that Bitch of Morgause were going to wish they were dead when he ended with them.

"Merlin! Your eyes!" Hunith scold her son, afraid that someone may see.

"_Ceil an Dealraigh a Rocacha" _The woman heard Merlin whisper. Without delay the golden in his eyes was swallowed by the black pupils that were dilated leaving a fine line of blue of the sight; even if it was middle day and the sun was shining strong.

"Who taught you to do that?" Merlin looked at his Mother absently with his fingers in his lips.

"No one, I create that myself." Was the curt answer he gave his mother and then he spun on his heels with his hands on his back, leaving the place.

4

"Merlin, I… this is hard but I have decided to send you to live with Gaius…" Merlin turned around abruptly and looked at his mother. Hunith felt that Merlin saw her soul in that moment.

"I don't want to go to Camelot." He made his mother know all defensive. _Not again, not again!_ His head screamed, repeatedly.

"Merlin…"

"Mother, pardon me, but are you trying to get me killed? You do know that Uther Pendragon burn people like me, don't you?"

"You are getting careless with your magic Merlin. I am grateful for what have you done… but no more Merlin. I would not have you killed, just because you're a passing for a very late adolescent rebellion." That offended him, _adolescent rebellion? _He hadn't even had time to be a proper teenager when he had been forced to kill countless psycho sorcerers that wanted to destroy Camelot; he was bereft of his childhood and did somebody cared? _No. _The things he had to hear.

"And because of it, you are going to write my death sentence?" He snorted skeptical.

"No, I'm sending you to Camelot so you can learn what I have been trying to teach you."

"Stop lecturing, Mother." Merlin uttered jaded. Hunith bit the inside of her mouth. What had happened to his child? Her sweet, naïve Merlin… her son was now bitter and distant. The same way she had seen people who had come from war; people who had seen hell and lived to tell the tale.

"Gaius had already accepted. I'm not asking you _Merlin._ You are going to Camelot and learn some self-restrain; maybe being away from William and see what Uther does to people like you, my son; will make you less reckless."

"_What will make me: it's going on a dark rampage to kill the bastard…" _He didn't voice his thought, though. "As you wish, Mother; when shall I be going to my death?"

"Don't be petty, Merlin. I have taught you better than that and Gaius needs all the help he can get."

"I'm tired, mother. My head is hurting. Do you mind if I retire myself for the night?"

"What happened to you, my sweet, sweet child?" She conveyed hurt. Merlin's eyes became soft and he hugged his mother gently; trying to transmit all his love. He knew he had become cold, but he couldn't be that stupid Merlin again if he wanted to live and now that he didn't need to be _that _Merlin, he didn't know how to come back…

"Life happened, Mother. I have been to hell and spit back… good night." He explained her, the best he could and then kissed her on her temple to go and laid himself to look at the stars, trying to overcome the insomnia that was consequence years of war.

5

If Merlin didn't want to believe he was in the past, well… that was his wakeup call… Camelot was shimmering and in its prime. His heart bombed loudly when he looked at Arthur Pendragon bullying a servant. He was alive! The prat was alive and careless and young and laughing even if cruelly. He felt his eyes prickled and the tears built up in his eyes. He couldn't stand much more of that so he resumed his way to Gaius' quarters.

He arrived still feeling the tears; all those years suppressing his feeling must be catching with him at last. The sight of that door made him take a deep breath and he did his be to prepare himself to look at his mentor, years younger. He knocked the door politely three times and waited for permission to enter the physician's room.

"Come on in." He heard from inside the room, his gut were twisting and churning inside. He pushed the door open and the smell brought back violently flashes of his "first" timeline. He did his best to conceal the dizziness and decided to look at Gaius and smile.

"I'm Merlin, Hunith's son?" He said when their sights crossed. Understanding took possession of his wise eyes.

"Of course! Merlin, my boy! I was waiting for you! How is your mother?"

"She is in good health, constantly worrying about me, even if I tell her I'm fine. You know, _mothers."_ The warlock smiled tenderly. He loved Gaius so much, it hurts… seeing him mentor there, _so _"young", very well… so _hale_ and without worry shadowing upon his old shoulders. He wanted to hug the lights out of the physician, he restrained of course.

Gaius was surprised. When Hunith asked him for help, he was waiting for a disaster to cross that door… instead he gets a very polite child with wisdom beyond his years, engraved in his jaded deep blue eyes and a soft smile that seemed to be a little bit too glad to see him _again_. Merlin was too young to remember Gaius, it was something else.

"Well, here we are…" He said trying to break the awkward silence that befell the room.

"Indeed… goodness, let me show you, your room."

Merlin looked at the little room that he had not used in so many years: the uncomfortable and hard coat, the little window, the chunk where his kept his magic books, a nostalgic feeling took prey of him, he smiled.

"It's not much…"

"It's perfect Gaius." He interrupted the Physician before he could say anything else. His magic would made this room even more comfortable that the King's room, so he didn't care. "I don't need much. Do you want me to help you with something? I didn't bring much with me… ergh… you seem… somewhat _surprised…_" He couldn't resist asking, he knew that look very well.

"Well, to be honest, my boy; I was expecting someone more _difficult_."

"I can be difficult if you want." And with those words, his accent changed; it surprised him because it sounded like the tight and somewhat posh accent the court of Camelot had. The way the words rolled his tongue, was the same way the nobles spoke. But Merlin was no noble… when Merlin smirked, he saw the younger Pendragon for a moment and that disconcerted him _again._

"Very funny, Merlin… I need you to help me to distribute some medicines… will you have any problem doing that?" He looked at the younger child suspicious.

"No, I think I can manage." Merlin smiled him to assure the old man.

"Very well, rest and familiarize yourself with the castle."

"Of course, Gaius."

6

Merlin was sitting on the steps of the terraces with a very mild spell that made him go unnoticed. He was watching Arthur and Leon fight, or better said: he was looking at Arthur beat Leon with his sword. He smirked gleefully. Behind the glamour that kept his blue eyes even when preforming magic, the gold gleamed and Arthur tripped giving Leon an opening. Everyone gasped when Leon actually won the fight. Merlin felt better with himself after that.

"Hello there, we saw you all alone and decided to come and introduce ourselves." The Warlock looked at his right from when the voice came from and he saw Morgana and Gwen, so young and so innocent. His eyes became bleak, so tangible that Gwen stammered.

"I'm the Court Physician apprentice…" He answered curt, but polite and then looked again to the field were the knights were doing their routine; repeating to himself that those weren't the people that made his life miserable.

"I'm Morgana and this is my good friend and maid, Guinevere." She introduced herself as promised, intercepting their sights. Merlin smiled in remembrance that was the Morgana he respected and adored; the woman that he once saw as an honorary sister and close friend.

"And he smiles!" Merlin chuckled at the antics of Morgana. "Well, it seems that the rumor mill it's wrong, as usual. You are quite famous between the maids, you know, _Court Physician Apprentice". _

"I'm in the rumor mill? Are the maids that desperate?" Merlin joked, giggling which surprised Morgana in a good way. By the gossip in the castle about 'Gaius' new boy' people said he was polite but aloof and sometimes quite distant. Gaius patients adored him and said that the kid had miraculous hands and of course it didn't hurt that he was handsome as well, with short dark hair, deep blue eyes, tall and slim and an aura of mystery surrounding him.

"See Gwen I told you he couldn't be as bad as the servants said…"

"Yes, My Lady." She looked shyly at the Court Physician apprentice; to be honest she was having a bit of a crush, after some days ago he had helped her selflessly and the he keep his way, she observed him from afar not being courageous enough to talk to him again. She only knew his name was Merlin and that all the maids were fawning all over him, but he never show them attention. She mentioned his troubles to her mistress and she took the matter with her own hands. "Hi, I-I'm Gwen…"

"Merlin." He answered, standing up because Arthur had given the order that the drill was over.

"The bird? Where?"

"No, my name is_ Merlin." _Morgana laughed discreetly.

"Oh! Of course! Silly of me, I'm sorry; I didn't mean that you were a bird or anything… I just…"

"Gwen, breathe. It's ok, really. Now, if you excuse me: _Duty Calls."_

"A real pleasure to meet you, _Mer_lin."

"Likewise, Morgana; farewell." And he went along with the knights.

"What an interesting bloke. Don't you think, Gwen? Gwen?" She turned back to look at her maid. "What's wrong, Gwen?"

"He called you 'Morgana'!" Gwen was in shock.

"I noticed, as I said: interesting bloke."

7

Merlin tried his best to stay away from the business of the crown. He had even blocked the Dragon out of his head. He performed his duties and then stayed out of the way of everything that could take him to the future he had left behind and still had nightmares every single night. But destiny was a flicky thing, with one look at the singer Helen, he remembered about the son of the woman he didn't see die for a second time. He avoided being present in such events, he couldn't guarantee that his magic would not react and create a chain reaction before the massacre where innocent people were dying.

He was obligated to enter Helen's room, per Gaius' wishes; with a sigh he resigned to his destiny and looked around the room. Every single reflective surface was covered. He leaned against the door closing it.

"Ah, young lad… what can I do for you?"

"I cannot give you back your son, but the path you are walking will only lead you to your death…" The reaction was as expected, she tried to attack him. Merlin overpowered the grieving old lady as tender as he could. "Please, I have seen so many people die… don't waste the sacrifice your son did for you…"

"You don't understand." She shrieked with tears falling down.

"I do understand. I do… I-I have lost so much, you have no idea. I have nightmares; I choke in my dreams. Please, do your performance and leave… you will be getting a great reward for your singing. Go; live your life away from the pain. At least, think about it. Do it for your son." He begged trying to make her see reason. After his pleadings he left the room, hoping for the best.

8

After being forced to crush the fake Helena with a candelabrum (again) and shove Arthur out of the way of the assaulting knife; he quickly left the Great Hall feeling the annoying prickling in his eyes, warning him to search a safe place to cry_._ He found the darkest corner he knew the castle had and let the tears fall. Why the hell was he in the past if he could not change the future? He felt in despair, he felt hollow; his suicide tendencies came back to him abruptly choking the air out off of his lungs. His desires to live began to abandon him while the dread stalked him. He didn't want to live that future again. He couldn't stand to repeat over and over again.

"Merlin… are you all right, my boy? You left pretty quickly. It took me a while to found you." Emrys lifted his head and Gaius gasped. Merlin's face was full of tears and his eyes were glowing in that characteristic golden hue of powerful sorcerers. The young Warlock jumped at him, hugging him as if his life depended on it; choking and short of breath while the sobs became audible.

"Why? I don't want it! Not again!" He cried broken. He tried to say something else, but the chocked sobs didn't allow it.

9

Gaius left Merlin's room, with Merlin in some sort of catatonia. He had force feed him some valerian to calm the frazzled nerves of the vexed youngling and when he knew that Merlin was not going to do something stupid, even if he didn't know what exactly could constituted as "stupid" in this case; he decided to leave him alone.

"_Emrys…"_

"Helen or whatever the hell you call yourself." Merlin acknowledged miserable, the ghost of the fake Helen that appeared in front of him once that Gaius left the room.

"_Do not be troubled by my dead, Emrys… I am grateful. I now can see everything clearly and I thank you. I wanted to die; Emrys I wanted to be with my son and you granted my wish."_

"And who is going to kill me, then?" Fake Helen sighed with sympathy, feeling remorseful for the young warlock.

"_You have so much to live for, Emrys: to love, to hate, to feel, do not live for what does not exist yet." _

"Merlin, to whom are you talking to?" Of course the Court Physician was keeping an eye and an ear on him.

"_Farewell and Thank you, Merlin Emrys…"_ Gaius looked shocked at the ghost of the fake Helen dissolving in the night.

"Merlin?"

"She was the mother of the bloke, Uther decided to behead in all his greatness a few days ago." Merlin explained with hazed voice, looking at the void.

"You did the right thing, Merlin." The deep blue eyes of Merlin looked at him, like assessing.

"Right, because it doesn't matter as long as Arthur lives…" Merlin muttered devoid of emotion in his voice.

"I will give you something stronger. I don't like those bags under your eyes…" The Warlock chuckled with that spark that left his eyes so many years ago; ignited once more for a few seconds.

**TBC**


	2. Sorting Valiant

**Chapter II:** Sorting Valiant.

**Notes:** I've found a BETA… or it found _me,_ actually, LOL *lame joke, cough, cough…* Let's cheer _**Escaped Ninja**_ for her wonderful (and really quick!) job.

10

Merlin was woolgathering, looking at nothing in particular. Camelot was hosting the annoying annual sword tournament where the knights of the entire realm came to beat each other with _swords, _obviously. Merlin could vaguely recalled something with snakes but it was extremely fuzzy in his mind, especially with Gaius drugging him so much; he didn't know what Gaius was expecting him to do. He opened his eyes and almost tripped as he hadn't done in years, with the sight of Arthur Pendragon in front of him, looking at him intently. He fell in his butt and frowned.

"What?" Arthur fidgeted and Merlin deepened the frown full his voice full of distrust.

"I…" Arthur started hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I wanted to say thank you…" Well, what do you know? That was a first, Arthur saying thank you for the weekly saving of his life. "For, you know… saving my life… my Father tried to reward you, but you disappeared so quickly and then Gaius said that you are not so well right now, so the King it's bidding his time." Despite his mind still being fuzzy Merlin rolled his eyes.

"I didn't do what I did for a reward. I don't want anything that your King can offer." The Warlock looked at Arthur whom had a very hurt expression on his face and was about to pout. Oh boy… Merlin sighed, _great…_"Look, call it even, seriously; just be a great King or whatever." The younger Pendragon held him for his arm when he tried to escape. "Let me go, Arthur." Merlin warned.

"Whoever gave you permission to call me by my first name?" Said the prince, Arthur was shocked; it was like if somebody said: hey, did you see? The sky turned green!

"Ah, there you are, welcome back, prat…" though the only thing that Merlin said out loud was: "Prat", which was Merlin default response when Arthur was being a _prat_.

"Excuse me? Did you just call me a _Prat? _Don't you know who I am?"The next thing that Arthur was going to say was: _Do you know how to walk on your knees?_

"Me? I would never, ever _dare_to call the _Great_ Prince of Camelot a prat, _sire_." By the time Merlin finished with his angelic face, Arthur was twitching; that _nobody_ was mocking him and wasn't even trying to disguise it. The sarcasm was clearly noticeable in his voice, dropping like caustic arrows to his person.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Merlin arched one eyebrow.

"Are you the prince of Camelot? Now, if you excuse me, I'm busy. No, wait; I'm not, but I don't like your attitude…" And with that Merlin turned and walked away muttering about Prat kings that didn't know how to keep themselves alive; leaving one Prince of Camelot, gawking in his wake.

11

Merlin was returning from his morning deliveries and at some point of the walk something made the hair of his nape stand up. He looked at his left, the armory, and the first thing that got his attention was a yellow shield he shifted his sight, ghostly serpents danced around the shield… He grinded his teeth, Oh for fuck's sake! Merlin sighed, annoyed, tossing his hair with both hands frustrated and decided to ignore the fact that a lot people was going to die, _again. _

"Um, he-hello Merlin…" Merlin stopped his frustrated breakdown to pay attention to Gwen.

"Gwen."

"Everything ok? You looked quite troubled from here. Can I… um, help you?"

"Ergh, nope; everything it's all right. Sorry you had to see that…"

"It's ok. It's not trouble. Do you want to talk?"

"_Lancelot, where the bloody hell are you when one needs you?" _Merlin thought irritated. "Nope, everything is all right, in fact…" He cackled a little bit evil. "Why don't you forget that you spoke to me today, um?" Gwen looked entranced at Merlin's eyes which were swirling gold. How he had done to so many people in his life, he took Gwen's memories of those five minutes away, destroying them in the process.

"Yes, why don't I forget that I spoke to you today?" She agreed with him, forgetting it. In the haze of the oblivion spell, he bid his farewell.

"Ok, this is where I _um,_ run." The Warlock mumbled and walked away with quick steps.

12

Merlin looked at the poor knight dying from snake poison, breathing shallowly in the narrow bed.

"Merlin, are you ok?" Gaius asked his young ward, the Warlock looked at Gaius with his hands clasped together close to his lips.

"What would you do if you _knew_ who did this?" Merlin asked and the Court Physician assessed his protégé.

"Are you saying that you know how this knight ended being poisoned by a snake?"

"Hypothetically?" Merlin probed cautiously.

"Hypothetically, of course." Gaius decided to humor the young Warlock.

"Hypothetically, I may or may not have seen an enchanted shield that may or may not belong to a knight that for the sake of the hypothetically speaking shall remain unnamed…" Gaius rubbed his face with his hands.

"Do you know how this shield works? _Hypothetically…"_

"Parlor trick… nothing too fancy. Although in Camelot it may well be the Cup of Life, _hypothetically speaking; _of course." Gaius opened his mouth to say something when he heard Merlin cursed.

"Merlin?"

"Fuck, someone is eavesdropping at the door." He left unsaid that he knew it was Arthur that was doing it. "Heard something interesting Arthur?"

"How the hell did you know it was me?"

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" The Warlock let him in, rolling his eyes.

"It is true what you said? This is the hand of sorcery?"

"Nice try, _your highness." _Arthur cringed; hearing Merlin say 'Your Highness' was inversely proportional to his brain hearing: 'you dirty vermin'. "The moment I drop the 'Hypothetically speaking' I might very well be sentencing myself to a good flog; because you Pendragon's are so _intelligent." _The farther he was from Arthur, the less his future will be likely to doom.

"Merlin!" Gaius chastised the young one, bemused.

"Oh, I'm so very much sorry… _sire." _There he was doing it again, that was the most insincere apology he had heard in his life and he lived and breathed in the Court of Camelot.

"Merlin. What about we compromise, you tell me everything you _think _you know and I shall never mention your name in front of my father; but knights are dying unfairly Merlin!"

"Life is not fair, Arthur. Deal with it. But you may or may not, _hypothetically speaking; _be searching for a knight named Valiant, will you go away now? Don't you have princely duties to complete? I'm pretty sure you are a busy person. Good night, _sire._"

It went unsaid that Gaius was _VERY _concerned.

13

"Arthur, are you out of your mind? You want me to accuse a _knight _of sorcery because a servant some told you about some fictitious magic shield?" Arthur bit his lips.

"You are right father. It was stupid of me to bring such a delicate subject like this."

"And don't you ever forget it, Arthur."

"Of course father" The Prince of Camelot bowed to his father and then spun on his heels, his eyes crossed with the azure orbs of Merlin whom had a knowing look in his face and was leaning on a wall inconspicuous, if somebody was not paying enough attention, Merlin would pass unseen.

"I told you so…" Merlin reproached him when he was close enough to be whispered in his ear. The Court Physician's Apprentice left him like some peasant not worthy of his time now that everything was said and done. Arthur had to admit to himself, feeling a bit lost and disgruntled.

14

Emrys was enjoying the sun while eating some confectionaries he had stolen from the kitchen early this morning when Arthur's Manservant of this week (Morgana was betting this was to be gone at the end of the tournament, as there would be no servants free due to the tournament and Uther made his point very clear).

Merlin flinched when the lad, walking with a pile of things, fell; stumbling with a very big rock that went unseen due to the great number effects on his arms. The Warlock could see the bone twisted in a very painful way.

"Don't move, chap." He didn't know the name of Arthur's servant of the week. "You ankle is very likely broken. Try not to move."

"I need to go!"

"And how are you planning on walking with a broken ankle? Don't you see the bone sticking like a ball on the skin? You are lucky it didn't penetrate the skin!"

"You don't understand! I need to prepare Prince Arthur for his match! Please! I need to go!"

"What happened?" A guard, passing by the scene asked, frowning.

"Can you take him to the Court Physician? He broke his ankle pretty badly. Do not concern yourself, I shall attend the Prince, go!"

Merlin sighed mutinously and began to gather everything that went flying because of the fall and when everything was ready, he hurried himself to Arthur's tent.

"Merlin! What the hell are you doing here? Where is Everest?"

"Everest? You sacked Everest like, a month ago…"

"What?

"Everest? I remember because Morgana told me that you were bitching about how he left hair everywhere." That left Arthur a bit dumbfounded. Since when was Morgana and Merlin so chummy? And why Merlin pay attention to Morgana, but left Arthur aside like chopped liver?

"Whatever, what are you doing here?"

"Your manservant had a rather ugly accident that involved a rock and a very twisted ankle, so I butted in; but then again you are a grown up and can dress yourself. Here, good luck."

"Wait, Abby got in an accident, is he ok?" Merlin arched an eyebrow and Arthur cleared his throat. "What?"

"You sacked Abby like, two weeks ago because you didn't like him having a girl's name." He remembered because that was so far the most stupid reason Arthur had come with to sack somebody. Morgana laughed for days when she found out (after being outraged with Arthur, of course).

"Liar!"

"Should I ask Morgana?"

"No! Fine! Whatever!"

"Well, here are your clothes, sire. I will show myself the exit, because I can see I'm not welcome here."

"No! Wait!" Merlin spun again and looked at him in the eye, making him uncomfortable.

"Yes?"

"You have to help me! How do you pretend I fasten the brooches on my back!" Arthur _asked _for help. Merlin rolled his eyes… Pendragons…

"But you said…"

"Merlin!"

"Ok, there is no need to yell." Merlin murmured somewhat mutinous. Arthur wanted to say something but he restrained himself.

With every new servant Arthur gained, at first, the undressing and, consequently, dressing, was terrible and awkward and not just for the servant, but Arthur too felt awfully vulnerable and he hated it. Some people trembled, others leered and there was one who even tried to undress him with his eyes closed, needlessly to say he didn't last pass that night. Merlin did neither… which he should have been expecting. Merlin tended to send his expectation flying out the window. He knew the bloke wasn't a servant; he lived _free_ in some town bordering Camelot and Cendred's kingdom, but the way and the easiness which he was performing the task told him he had done this for many years, which was contradictory.

It was unnerving that Merlin seemed to understand how to fit everything perfect in his body. Everything was in his right place and nothing was grazing or prickling or _wrong_. No servant had gotten it right the first try, in fact, he always ended doing the last arrangement himself, but this was _perfect, _which was unnerving, as he had said before. Merlin seemed to know his body from memory and his hands were ridiculously soft for a poor farmer boy, but then again, sometimes Merlin seemed to move like a noble: graciously and restrained and the way he spoke always brought him flash backs of the courts held by his father.

Merlin went to fetch the sword and murmuring a few words; he had made some last minutes modification to avoid the prat being killed by magic even if this wasn't his fight with Valiant.

"Arthur." The Warlock called the Prince to attention as he was just lost looking at him.

"Yes?"

"Your sword…" He gave him the sword and Arthur felt the metal tingling in his fingers. "Good luck, in your silly game of beating yourselves with swords, _sire_._" _And for a moment, all the tension in Arthur's shoulder seemed to vanish. Merlin smirked knowingly and Arthur laughed a little before getting on his way, leaving the brunet standing there lost in his memories.

Arthur won the match, easily. He looked for Merlin only to find out that he wasn't there; princes didn't feel disappointment, but if he wasn't a Prince, then maybe, just maybe, that would be what he would be feeling.

15

Merlin's recollection of his former time line may not be as clear as he would like but he did know that when the news that the poisoned knight may be living, Valiant would send one of those blasted snakes to finish the job and the Warlock would be waiting and he would do something very cruel to the fucking thing. That was why he found the servant whom attended Valiant and alas, that finishing the job was going to be tonight.

"Merlin, shouldn't you be sleeping?" Merlin winced inside. How to tell Gaius that he hadn't done much sleeping in uncountable years? The Physician observed that Merlin was reading one of his many books of history; mostly boring to the youth, but very enjoyable for scholars and old men like himself. Merlin was one surprise after another, because he actually looked like he was really enjoying the book. "How do you find that book?"

"Interesting, I'm pretty sure you have read the uncensored version. It's amazing how much the history changes from one King to another, don't you think, dear Gaius?"

"Are you planning on sleeping anytime today?" He didn't say anything about how easily Merlin spoke traitorous things about the King.

"I'm going to finish this chapter and then I will sleep. I promise." Merlin replied, easily lying.

"Then, until the next day, Merlin."

"Of course, Gaius. Sweet dreams…"

"I should be one wishing you sweet dreams, my dear boy. You always seem to be in need of them." Merlin gave Gaius a sad smile.

Emrys smirked quite diabolic when he saw the snake slithering, using the poles on the ceiling. When the thing prepared to attacked, Merlin just froze it.

"As I said before: Parlor Trick…" The brunet went searching for a jar of pure glass to milk the reptile and when he found it and was in front of the snake. "Open your mouth. Don't make me beg or do something really, really bad. You wouldn't believe my sadistic streak. Fine, have it your way…" The not-quite-so-last of the Dragon Lords commanded the magical creature whispering to it in the dragon dialect and the snake hopelessly gave in. "Whatever made you think you could go against me?" Merlin snorted very un-Merlin-like. "If I didn't know better I would let your fucking master end the Pendragon line once and for all, so they could search for another king and be done with it. But alas, that isn't going to happen. So yeah, that is why I hope for the best and plan for the worst. My personal motto when dealing with the Pendragon's, I must be really desperate to be talking so chummy to a frozen serpent. I'm pretty sure that Gwaine would have lots to say about that. Shut up, Merlin." He talked to himself, not knowing that Gaius was very awake, with a concerned look on his face while Merlin kept blabbing with himself while making some sort of potion, if it was magical, however, he didn't quite know. "Now I promised you hell, but I'm actually tired, so I would try to sleep and you are going to vanish into oblivion, and tomorrow we will do our best to keep Arthur alive for that stupid tournament."

16

"Merlin? Do you want something?" The prince asked when the Warlock appeared in his tent. Merlin was staring with an arched eyebrow, watching the poor servant of the week (or for the tournament) jump and stumble and trip, trying to move with dignity with only one good leg.

"Go away and rest the feet lad or do you want to lose it?" Merlin told the young servant. Arthur, at some point of his life was going to stop being surprised by Merlin… but not today, especially when the little bugger commanded _his _manservant to go away like he was the King of Camelot and the stupid manservant, whose name he still didn't remember, had the audacity of listening to him and even bow to him.

"What the fuck it's wrong with you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about. You were going to an unmitigated disaster with that poor kid trying to dress you with only one leg working."

"So you butted in…?" He drawled irritated, but in the end leaving Merlin to do whatever the hell he wanted. Merlin ignored him, as usual and when everything was in place, the Warlock spoke again.

"One piece of advice Arthur, your match is against Valiant, in the moment you see the ghostly serpents: you are going to cut them with your sword." Arthur opened his mouth. "Believe me your sword is made of awesomeness, it will cut them through. Oh! Right, I forgot; if by any chance you do get bitten, you have about five seconds to kill the bastard and, because I too am awesome, I have the antidote just right here." He said auto sufficient showing him a phial. "Go and try not to get killed, you prat… if everything gets screwed I've got a plan B. Pray that we don't have to get to it. Arthur, I know it's one of your worst faults, but _don't underestimate Valiant._" Before Arthur could defend himself against the accusations, Merlin had left him and he suddenly felt like if all the weight of the world was dumped on his shoulders. If only Arthur had half of the confidence that Merlin seemed to have in him. He took a deep breath and took the plunge.

17

Merlin winced and hit his forehead with the palm, after Arthur managed to get poisoned by the stupid snake. He had told the Prat that there were two snakes left in the shield. Underestimating the enemy was going to be Arthur's doom, he cut one and then Valiant commanded the other one, the worst of all? Uther was, as usual; oblivious to anything magical happening in the arena. He looked momentarily at Morgana, he sighed relieved. Morgana had that "OMG! I'm super worried about it and if you continue, I might have to beat you with _my _sword" look on her face. He was never going to let her live this one down.

"So much for trusting Arthur with something like this…" Gaius looked at Merlin, whom opened his eyes wide and instead of the golden flash the pupils dilated; a few seconds later Valiant began to choke and Arthur, by mistake with a misdirected stab, mortally wounded the knight, the prince was not fairing much better either. He was pale and shaken and was clearly having trouble breathing.

People went on a rampage when the Prince of Camelot won the tournament; blind to the fact that if the antidote was not administered quickly their beloved prince would die. Arthur remembered that Merlin had told him to come quickly and find him in case of being poisoned. He could see the tents but he couldn't walk anymore, everything was multiplying by four. Merlin caught Arthur before he end up in the floor, giving himself a concussion to add to the poison. The Warlock uncorked the phial and tried feed Arthur the antidote. Arthur was not being very helpful.

"The things I do for you, Prat!" Merlin took Arthur to the tent and when they were inside he bespelled the tent to be ignored. Putting Arthur's head on his lap the Warlock opened the Prince's mouth and poured a bit of the liquid trying to get it passed by massaging Arthur's throat to make the reflexes come to life. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, when the antidote went down the unconscious prat's throat and poured the rest, lucky for him; he would need to put his mouth on Arthur's to make him swallow.

He left Arthur carefully on the floor and now he could only wait. He materialized a book and began to read, waiting for the unconscious Prince to wake up.

18

The first thing that Arthur saw when he woke up was something red. Why would he wake up with a red sky? Was there a sky of that color? Weren't red skies a _bad omen?_ No, he was clearly mixing omens… The Once and Future King frowned while blinking furiously trying to clear the cobwebs in his mind, suddenly a face appeared in that red sky. Dark hair and blue eyes looked at him.

"Are you with us yet, Arthur?" He jumped scared and was about to yell like a woman but then he remember that he was a prince and princes didn't yell like a woman.

"Merlin! What the hell!"

"Good, you're conscious again. Good job getting yourself poisoned in the arena…" The Warlock chastised Arthur, scowling.

"Well I'm sorry that I got poisoned in the arena Merlin! I don't know if you noticed it's not particularly easy to dodge those fucking _magical snakes_ randomly popping out of a _magic shield!" _Merlin ignored his protests_ again_ and instead looked at him closely. "Wha-What are you doing?"

"Stay still Arthur. I'm just looking at your iris."

"Right, because that's not creepy at all. Merlin, get off me."

"I'm looking at your iris, you prat, trying to see if there will be some secondary effects like what happened to the other knights that were poisoned, but _fine_, have it your way. _Prat." _He repeated just for the sake of the argument.

"One can do that?" Arthur asked surprised. Merlin nodded somewhat meekly.

"It's called Iridology it was formerly a _-mancy._ But with the ban of magic…" Merlin decided to shrug and stand up.

"I am going to be ok?" Arthur didn't like the Machiavellian smirk appeared on Merlin's lips.

"You'll be fine, relax. Now, you should go and tell your father that you were tumbling with a maid or something…" The prince scowled. "You have been unconscious for more than an hour Arthur.

"And they have not searched the tent?"

"_And the sun will shine on those who stand before it shines on those who kneel under them."_ Merlin answered him quite cryptic.

"Meaning?"

"Are we not lucky?"

"I don't believe in coincidences…" He said suspiciously, he had been lost for more than an hour after the tournament and nobody came asking for him on his tent? Call him paranoid if you want, but he didn't buy it.

"Good, that will get you far. Well, _sire_, I left you to your post-tournament ablutions, shall I call for Pence?" Arthur was going to criticize Merlin's sarcasm as he normally did, but he didn't know any "Pence's".

"Who the hell is _Pence?_"

"Your manservant?" Merlin asked confused.

"His name is _Pence?" _Now, he didn't see _that_ one coming.

"Yes?" He thought Arthur was joking when he said he didn't know the name of his manservants.

"Can't you finish the job?" Arthur really wanted Merlin attending him. In fact he would sack every other poor excuse of a servant until Merlin accepted to work for him.

"Do I look like your servant?" The Warlock questioned, crossing his arms on his chest and arching an eyebrow.

"Please?"

"Did you just say: please?" That surprised him, _a lot._

"With sugar on top?" The Prince tried his best puppy face, he knew he was irresistible.

"Oh for the gods' sake! Come, you overgrown child…" Emrys took the Once and Future King's hand and dragged him.

"Wait! Merlin! Wait!"

"Life waits for no man, Arthur!"

"What?"

"Oh look, there's Arthur." Morgana pointed out calmly. The knights were freaking out like ants in the rain, because their prince was MIA.

"And Merlin…" Gwen finished pointing with a finger and followed them both.

"Merlin!" Morgana called in a loud voice. Merlin hearing his name, halted for a moment.

"Morgana! Gwen! Can't talk, I'll see you guys later!" And with that frugal greeting he continued on his way to the castle dragging Arthur with him.

"You gotta love that boy!" Morgana chirped happily and stopped waving her hand.

"Was Merlin _dragging _Prince Arthur around?" Morgana just giggled before Gwen's traumatized face.

**TBC**


	3. The Earth and Water Thingy

**Chapter III: **The Earth and Water Thingy

_**AN:**__ The chapter is not BETAED… My beta, for what I could gather had a clash with the Real World. So any mistake, sorry about that. I did try to re-read and stuff._

19

Merlin woke up that morning with all the hair in his body standing up. Yes, even the hair on his head, which was going to cause him a lot of trouble. He tried to placate his crazy hair with no avail. He exited his room and he found Gaius having breakfast, yeah, he already knew that today the world was conspiring against him.

"Merlin…?"

"Good Morning Gaius…" He cut the Physician before he could comment on his hair.

"Merlin…" The old man warned.

"What?" The poor Warlock answered.

"What is happening to your hair?"

"Crap…" He muttered going straight to the basin and drowning his hair in it, when he got his hair out of the water and he looked at himself in the mirror, he twitched. "I shall be hiding in my room. Call me if Arthur is dying, about to or in fear of…" And with those words he spun on his heels and closed the door with a soft click.

20

"Merlin, you look atrocious with that stupid neckerchief on your head."

"How do you propose I explain why my hair looks like if I was struck by a lightning bolt?"

"You are bright chap, Merlin; you will figure out. Now; take off that silly thing off your head. It's aggravating enough when you wear it around your neck…" Merlin muttered mutinously but complied, storing his beloved neckerchief in his pocket. His hair went immediately up. Gaius gave him the eyebrow of doom which made him twitched. "Sometimes I wonder about you, Merlin."

"How is this, my fault!" He cried in despair, trying to placate the hair, which was not being very collaborating.

"It is not, now shush, my boy." Gaius kneeled where the body was and when Merlin looked at those white eyes, he felt like puking. Those eyes and the absurd amount of people that died in the water plague were hard to forget. Fuck, fuck… Nimueh and her fucking poop creature! He tried to feel the magical presence of Nimueh or even the _whatever-the-hell _creature Nimueh called forward was, but everything was calm and silent. "Merlin!" The Physician tried to snap his assistance's head out of the clouds.

"What?"

"Something's wrong?"

"No, sorry; I got distracted for a moment. What do you want, Gaius?"

"I want to know, what got you upset so suddenly!"

"My hair, for starters… I need to go. Don't drink water from the public well, Gaius! I mean it! DON'T!"

"Merlin!" But the Warlock was already gone.

21

"Merlin! Hon! What are you doing here? Here, you have to taste theses pastries, they are to die for."

"Sorry, Mrs. Delia, I don't have time! But I'll take you word for it. Can I ask you a favor?"

"Anything for you, Sweet Cheeks!" She smiled content.

"I need you to _not _get water from the well outside the walls of the castle."

"Why would you ask for something like that Merlin? The other one it's miles away!"

"Argh! I know I'm going to hate myself later for this." Merlin quickly pecked her lips and her lips became sort of blue. "Don't get water from the well outside the walls of the castle, do you understand?"

"I will not get water from the well outside the walls of the castle, Lord Emrys." The cook spoke hazed, with a white membrane already formed in her eyes

"Good. I'm sorry Mrs. Delia; this is for your own good." And with that he went away.

22

Merlin tied again the neckerchief to his head, covered up his arms with some black linen he found and armed himself with two transfigured sticks of silver as he began to search for Nimueh's creature, ok, maybe the sticks were an overkill… his hair was indication enough, but better more than less.

"Hey! You!" Emrys heard that Arthur shouted. Merlin straightened and semi turned, Arthur seemed agitated. _Right, _the King surely found out about the people dying.

"You yelled, Arthur?"

"Merlin?" The Prince stopped abruptly, looking the other boy. He was beginning to think that Merlin was actually crazy, what with the kerchief and the black bandages around his arms and the sticks in his arms. "What's that thing in your head and what's up with all the bandages, did you hurt yourself?"

"My head is cold." He made him known, looking ever less sane in the process.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"You ask me that a lot. I don't know what are you talking about and if you are going to just get into my nerves; I will go away now, _sire." _

"Merlin, do you realize I am the Prince of Camelot, don't you?" Of course the idiot only looked at him as if saying: 'your point?' "And that one day I may be very, very angry and send you to the dungeons?" He didn't get any reaction from the peasant, which only made him even more annoyed.

"Well, _sire_. That day I will confirm that you are just a spoiled prat and stop acknowledging you whatsoever and from my cold and inhospitable cell I shall write my mother, cry and exaggerate a little about my cruel fate and maybe she will see the light and let me return home…"

"What? You don't want to be here?"

"What was your first clue?" Was the exasperated answer he gave the Once and Future King. "Now, shush; I'm busy." And with that he put with sticks in the correct position to keep searching.

"Wait." Merlin sighed angrily.

"What now?"

"Have you seen Gaius? My father is summoning him, urgently."

"Yes…" Arthur let his hope high; maybe he could now have lunch. "He just got out of my pocket and ran away." The prince wanted to hurt Merlin until he was all bruised, twitching on the floor.

"_Mer_lin, get out of my sight before I do something I'll regret later…" Arthur growled, grinding his teeth. The sorcerer was not even fazed.

"Yes, I have been trying to do that since this conversation began… you are the one who keeps coming and calling me back!" The Warlock huffed annoying.

"NOW!"

"Prat." Merlin muttered irritated and with all the calmness in the world he went on his way. Arthur wanted to hurl something to the head of the idiot; unfortunately he didn't have anything with him.

"One of these days… one of these days!"

23

"Aha! At last!" Merlin did a little bit of a victory dance, when finally he could feel the creature after so many hours. His hair was all hotwired and the silver sticks were moving like mad.

"MERLIN! They are accusing Gwen of Sorcery!" The warlock turned around and arched an eyebrow. Morgana was upset and short of breath.

"I beg your pardon?"

"GWEN, Merlin! GWEN! Uther is accusing Gwen of Sorcery!" He did remember, fuzzy in his mind that Gwen was accused of sorcery because he, behaving like an idiot; went and saved her father, but now what was Uther thinking? "I spoke with Arthur, but he wasn't very receptive. In the end he just yelled at me and asked me: what the hell I wanted from him! Can you believe it!"

"And what do you think that I can do; when not even the _Prince _of Camelot could?"

"Have a little bit more heart than Arthur and help me save Guinevere, Merlin!" The Warlock just sighed and pocketing his silver sticks he spoke:

"Fine, let's blame myself and then go and tell Arthur there is a creature lurking in the caves that provide the water supply, and it's what is infecting the people."

"What? Are you out of your mind? And how in all heavens do you know that?"

"What do you think I have been doing all these days? Dallying?" Morgana was taken aback by his words. "For your information I was the first person that knew about this shit!"

"I… I didn't know, I'm sorry… for imply that you didn't care."

"Apology accepted."

"Well, let's get going, we shouldn't let Gwen too much time in the dungeons…"

"Merlin, I would really felt safer if you are with us when Arthur _kills _the _thing." _

"Aw~ don't you trust the mightiest knight of the seven kingdoms?"

"Hardy, har, har… Merlin, you are a comedian. This is serious!"

"I'm proposing solutions and I only hearing you creating more problems…" Merlin pointed out really calmed. In comparison with all he had had to suffer in the past (now future?) this wasn't even a crisis. Yes, people were dying but he knew how to stop before everything went too far. That shut Morgana up.

"Do you think that if we end this, Uther will see reason?"

"Most likely…" He answered sincerely.

"Let's go and find Arthur so he can slay your supposed creature."

24

"Well, my two least favorites people in the world. What, coming to annoying me even more, because my father is not enough?" Arthur was beyond annoyance, speaking ill of his father? He was leaving piss off behind and going into fucking rage.

"We know what it's causing the plague. Well, Merlin knows…" Merlin saw Morgana. Oh, brave, courageous Morgana.

"Seriously?"

"Did you really think I was just buggering you off when I told you I was busy? Nice…" Now Merlin was really offended.

"Why didn't you say something?"

"I was being irrational." Merlin shrugged dismissively.

"I can't believe you Merlin! Well, where is said _'creature'?" _He decided to get to the point before he went mad.

"No so far from here… in the caves in the outskirts, it's poisoning the water supply." Merlin pointed out the place approximately with his finger through the window.

"What kind of creature _pollutes _water? _WHY?" _Arthur couldn't understand why somebody would want to contaminate the water _everybody _drank…

"Well, there is this crazy sorceress whom hates you father and has a few screws loose in her head, she decided to make the people pay." Merlin smiled, and Arthur wanted to smack him again.

"Do you even know the _fucking sorceress _whom is doing THIS?" The only thing going on in Arthur's head was: un-fucking-believable.

"Hypothetically?"

"Stop with the fucking hypothetic bullshit Merlin!" The urges of hurling something at Merlin were coming back with urges to kill.

"Yeah…" He replied happily. Maybe he had a few screws loose, too. "Her name's Nimueh, she is the High Priestess of the Old Religion. She is like the more powerful _magical person _in the whole world!" He giggled, asking himself what was wrong with him.

"And since when did you know all of this?" The Prince took a deep one, restraining himself from going and choking the fucking idiot.

"Pretty much the same time I knew there was a magical creature lurking?"

"Oh my God, you idiot! Why didn't you say ANYTHING? We have to tell father!"

"Yeah, you go and tell Nimueh is doing this! Do you want repeat Valiant three times worse?" That made Arthur relents. "Because that's what is waiting for you when you blurt that name. Do even you know why Nimueh's still alive?" He shouldn't be playing games with Arthur's mind like this, but he couldn't care less right now.

"I was going to ask that… knowing Uther she would be the first person to die… wouldn't she?" Morgana reasoned, looking at the men.

"You might want to ask your father that, _after_ this crisis. We don't need another purge… thank-you-very-much."

"I supposed you have a plan."

"Don't I always?"

"Want to share with the class, _Mer_lin?"

"Let's go and find the creature. No point in putting this off anymore, we are as prepared as we'll ever be. Don't forget your sword." He told Arthur, starting to walk to the door

"Wait, I need to go and find my sword too!"

"Don't bother Morgana; you are not going to need it." Merlin warned off Camelot's Princess.

25

Merlin walked them to the cave; the short journey was made in utter silence. He felt mourning a little his past relation with Arthur, but this was better than the impending future. Once they arrived, Arthur made them stop.

"Ok, we stop here, _now_. What's this so called plan of yours?" The Prince demanded to know.

"Bait the thing and kill it? It's really fool proof."

"I'm beginning to believe that you really have a metal affliction Merlin. Are you out of your mind? Which what exactly are you planning to kill this 'supposed' creature?" The Once and Future King quoted with his finger exasperated.

"With your sword, of course…"

"Are you INSANE? Of what do you think my sword is made of Merlin?"

"Didn't I tell you, your sword was made of awesomeness before?" This time even Morgana looked at him, seriously considering sending him to the asylum.

"Ok, let's stop this nonsense, Merlin." Morgana stepped into the argument. "What creature are we facing, first and foremost?" This enterprise needed some control before all of them ended dead.

"Some thingy made of earth and water." Merlin explained with the stupidest words he could find, because even if the name was eluding him, right now, and saying it wasn't going to clue the magic hating raised children anything about the creature.

"'Thingy'?" Obviously Arthur didn't appreciate the explanation.

"Yeah, right now I can't remember the name, and I really don't need the name to vanquish it, because I already know how to kill it."

"With my sword?"

"Yes, Arthur; with your sword…"

"Merlin, my sword is made of vulgar steel. What do you think steel is going to do to this super powerful creature?" He tried to make Merlin see reason.

"And I'm telling you, you will kill the thing with your sword. I have let you down so far?"

"You have to admit that is kind of farfetched, Merlin." The Seer sided with Arthur this round.

"Fine, what do you want to do? Get back to Camelot and recruit Leon and other four knights and then bring them here…?"

"Yeah… how do you…?" But Merlin kept talking without paying him attention.

"So they all meet their death, when I've told you that you can kill it with only your sword?"

"Now when you put it like that." Morgana muttered taking her hands to her chin.

"We need back up Merlin! Are you trying to get us killed?"

"Yeah, I take all this trouble to save your life _several times _so now I can go and undo all my hard work? Right, because that's more coherent…"

"Morgana…" Arthur called for help.

"He does seem confident." She pointed out.

"I don't _seem_ anything, Morgana. I am confident."

"Merlin, if I die in this bloody cave I will haunt you until you go crazy…, crazier or die… do I made myself clear?"

"Do not worry, sire. I promise that if you die here I'll do everything in my power to revive you from the death…"

"Let's go and kill your 'thingy of earth and water'" Merlin smiled happily. "Stop smiling, you are creeping me out."

"Of course, sire."

"What's up with the sire?"

"I live to mess with your mind, Arthur." Morgana snorted, trying to hold her laughter back. The Prince glared at her that only made it worse.

26

"What's that Merlin?" Arthur asked with his sword drawn. Merlin pulled something out of his pocket when they were deep enough.

"Bait." He stated simply.

"And now?"

"And now we wait… you can lower your sword Arthur. You will have plenty of time to raise it up, I promise." Arthur looked at him suspiciously. "Trust me." He told him touching carefully his wrist with his penetrating gaze, so full of many things that made Arthur's head and heart said: "yes, always" that perturbed him a little, but he did lower his sword.

"How exactly this creature looks?" Morgana break the moment. Merlin stopped touching Arthur and the prince took a step back.

"Ugly… brown… you'll see." He couldn't offer anything more concrete. He didn't remember that well.

"Merlin…" Morgana called his attention when she felt something churning in her lower abdomen and the hair in her skin went up. Arthur noticed that Merlin's short hair went up, _magically._

"Up your sword, Arthur." Merlin ordered taking a step back to give Arthur space to stab the creature.

"I don't hear anything…"

"NOW!"

After the Warlock shout Arthur felt the ground trembling and he saw it.

"_Light your fire and let the wind blows all across_." Merlin chanted posing his eyes in the sword; his pupils dilated, because the glamour that changed the golden flash for the dilatation of his pupils was still in place.

The Prince froze in fear for the first time in a long time. His sword couldn't cut through that, no matter was Merlin said. They needed back up; they needed it fast so he made the most sensible decision: he ran…

"_What are you doing! You had it right there!"_ Was what Arthur heard Morgana and Merlin saying, though it may not be those exact words, he was not at his better.

"Merlin, I know what you said! Look, I trust you with my life, ok? I don't know why, but you seem pretty invested on it… I just don't trust my life to this bloody sword, OK?"

"Merlin! BEHIND YOU!" Morgana yelled scared.

Arthur blinked disoriented, Merlin moved his hands to the side and suddenly a staff made of some sort of imperial violet metal was in his hands out of the nowhere. With really practiced movements Merlin hit the creature with the staff in a semicircular motion keeping it at bay and when his hands were in the other side of his body the staff was no more. Arthur was about to think he imagined the whole thing, no human could move so fast, but he was feeling so out of his mind that he couldn't negate or affirm anything in his present condition. Merlin threw Morgana to an opening and then pulled Arthur to make him do the same.

"_Repel"_ Emrys casted and then followed the Princes of Camelot.

"Arthur."

"What, what?"

"I need you to get your shit together and stab the thing." He urged, putting his hands in the Prince's shoulder and shaking him gently. "Do you trust me? You only need to hit it! Yes?"

"Yes! I trust you, I'll do it!" Maybe he was crazy, but Merlin made him feel him invincible.

"You ok, Morgana?" The warlock looked at the seer whom was tearing her dress to have a better chance to escape if needed.

"I'll live." She cleaned the sweat away crudely with one hand.

"Good, let's go. Here it comes." The creature was finishing breaking the small space that separated them. "Arthur. C'mon! DO IT, DO IT NOW!"

With a war cry Arthur charged against the creature with all his strength. Merlin taking advantages of his powers, slowed the time so he could have time to chant so Arthur could slay the beast.

"_Light your fire and let the wind blows all across." _Emrys repeated the enchantment and when the sword penetrated the beast, Arthur's sword; unknowingly to the Prince, burned up; making the creature burst. They got caught in the explosion and consequently bathed in.

When everything calmed down a little, Arthur was shaking and panting with his hands on his knees, Merlin could hear his own heart beating in his throat; pumping in his eardrums while everything was swirling in a wide range of colors, he didn't even know when he shifted his sight; Morgana was the first to talk.

"Merlin, tell me this is just dirt…" The Princess begged miserably.

"Yeah…" He answered her, breathless. "I think so…" It smelled like wet dirt anyway.

"Good, dirt… dirt I can handle… You ok there, Arthur?"

"Against all odds?" He asked laughing shakily. "Yeah and in one piece too."

"That was bloody awesome Arthur." Morgana made him know in awe; closing the space between them. Merlin looked at the brothers and something in his chest flared. He took his dirty hand close to his lips, if only… "I apologize for what I said before; you fill your armor and then some more." The knight laughed again.

"Yeah, well, we all were under a lot of pressure. You are not really my least favorite person in the world…"

"Of course, Arthur." She smiled kindheartedly at him. Arthur felt funny… Morgana never, ever smiled like that except to Gwen… he felt like being granted a great rare privilege. "Where's Merlin?" Morgana inquired looking around and suddenly worrying again.

"MERLIN!" Arthur yelled, trying to pinpoint where the idiot was now.

"HERE ARTHUR!" They followed the voice and arrived to a chamber where the water was contained. Merlin showed them something broken, like the empty shell of a very big egg. "This should suffice to clear Gwen's name. Show him the mark, your father is bound to recognize it."

"Thank you, Merlin." Morgana thanked him, genuinely.

"Why are you thanking me for? Arthur was the one who plunged the thing."

"Yeah, I still don't get how this sword destroyed that thing…" Arthur looked at the sword. Said weapon was shattered, only the handle remained.

"Arthur, don't look a gift horse in the mouth…" Merlin advised him. Morgana smirked.

"Well, I'm sorry for being curious…" Arthur grumbled annoyed; but he sobered quickly. "Let's going back to the castle, we need to clean this mess and clean ourselves too." The warlock didn't move, though. "Merlin?"

"You go. I need to do something first."

"What could you possibly have to do down here?"

"Arthur, had nobody ever told you that you are too nosy for your own good? It is not becoming of the future Crown Prince of Camelot." Arthur took offence and Merlin smirked.

"Come on, Arthur. Let him be…" Morgana took Arthur by his forearm and tugged him a little.

The last thing the prince heard while leaving the water chamber was Merlin whispering something and then feeling Goosebumps all over his body.

27

"How is this possible?" Eyes flared gold in the darkness of the room, charged with fury. "EMRYS!"

**TBC**


	4. Merlin's headache

**Chapter IV: **Merlin's headache

_A/N: You know the drill by now. No betaed and stuff. And I'm too lazy to re-read, right now… I will check later. _

28

"Mercia and Camelot signing a treat of peace…" Merlin snorted, _right;_ and then tomorrow pigs would fly and Camelot's ban of magic would be lifted.

"Do you have any problem with Mercia and Camelot in peace, _Mer_lin?" The Warlock jumped a little after hearing Arthur's voice on his back. He turned to look at the prince in all his glory.

"I shall keep quiet and carry on, _sire_." Was all Merlin said and then he resumed his pace.

"Yes, you do that, _Mer_lin…"

29

"Merlin…"

"Yes, Gaius?" The sorcerer looked at Gaius without closing the book he was reading while he was waiting for some potions to get ready to get them out of the fire.

"Can you go and search some herbs I need in the forest?"

"Sure, why not. You've got a list?" The Physician handed him a piece of paper. "You need them, in this very right moment?"

"Not really."

"Then if you don't mind I shall finish this first." He noted, returning to his book.

"Of course, my boy… it's not trouble at all." The brunet smiled at Gaius and the Court Physician nodded.

_Emrys…_

Merlin bit his lips hard. He was so tired, because of the nightmares and his insomnia and the mortifying waiting for Nimueh's next attack that his barriers to keep Kilgharrah out were falling. He concentrated harder in the walls made of dark and cold water that protected his awareness against the Great Dragon's fiery mind. He was amazed by Kilgharrah's stubbornness, those walls had to be hurting him and yet, he kept pounding and pounding.

"Damn it you overgrown lizard, can't you take a hint?" He muttered angrily, feeling torn between his duty as a Dragonlord and his loyalty to himself. Right now Kilgharrah was more a liability than help, his (very founded, no one could denied it) hatred against Uther blinded him, rendering him useless on his apparent crusade of bringing magic (peacefully and hopefully with a minimum of death) back to Camelot.

He let his forehead fall onto the book and then he supported his bony cheek on the yellowish pages. He closed his eyes; breathing deeply to be able to hold. His insomnia was taking his tall again, but he knew that in the very moment he let his guar down, Nimueh would strike and he would be damned if he let Arthur die at the hands of the bitch. If somebody was going to kill the Prat it was going to be him… and no matter what happened, he loved Arthur too much to watch him lie, lifeless on the cold floor.

_Merlin… _

Well, he was worse than he calculated initially; if no amount of concentration and entrenchment were keeping the not-so-quite last Dragon out of his abused mind.

30

Merlin was walking the halls with his head pounding and hurting, needlessly to say he was not at his best. He crashed with somebody and only muttering an apology the warlock kept walking, not even looking at the person he bumped in to.

The beautiful maid looked at Emrys and frowned. She was expecting the well liked kid to stop and help her with the things he trashed up; but surprisingly, he just growled a very rude and mindless apology and walked away. She nibbled her lower lip and then made her way toward Bayard's room; she would find another way to make the Sorcerer Emrys hear her very _insincere_ plead.

She walked into the room and opened the chest that contained Bayard's gift to the Pendragon, switching the chalices; smiling maliciously. Merlin Emrys would soon meet his fall and Camelot would be no more.

31

Merlin was playing a lullaby rhyme with his lyre, because that seemed the only thing working with his atrocious headache. The soft and high clinks of the cords echoed in his brain alleviating his pain burst for shorts periods of time.

_Merlin… Emrys… Merlin…_

When the Dragon pounded into his head, making his vision flare white because of the pain, with a clonked note on the lyre Merlin had enough.

"_Stay away from my mind, Kilgharrah!"_ He counterattacked aggressively losing his patience entirely. The presence in his mind filled with astonishment and made a quick exit, leaving faint resonances of his namesake; fluttering in his consciousness.

A few minutes after his outburst, outing himself to his father's Dragon; he was absently playing the lyre, while potions and brews boiled slowly in the table. The gurgling sounds were relaxing and made him feel home and helped him to forget about everything that happened, were happening and would be happening until they day death would come for him.

"Merlin, my boy, I didn't know you played any instrument." Merlin bounced exalted. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you."

"No it's ok; I was just… wool-gathering…"

"Are you ok, Merlin?"

"Yeah… I'm fine."

"And these?" The physician asked suspicious, showing him the empty phials lying disorderly in the table.

"Those? Well, it's just… a killer headache… but the rest, awesome." He tried to smile, but even smile made his head and eyes hurt. Gaius wasn't buying it, but he let it be.

"You played very well the lyre, Merlin. Where did you found it?"

"I… it's mine actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah?" He tried his best to dodge the question; he wasn't feeling so well to have to obfuscate people. Curiously all the things he had in his personal _pocket dimension_ travelled with him to the past, maybe it was because the storage pocket was outside the mainline of his time and space. He found about it when he was able to call forward the mutated staff he gained after killing the Sidhe drowning princess… with his power, the staff morphed until it was something refined and slim and able to stop and pierce almost everything.

"Very well." Gaius left him alone and went to sort things out in the room. Merlin ignored the knocking on the door. All the drugs he pumped to his system were beginning to kick in and he was reaching the point where he could walk in a straight line, but he wasn't there just yet. "Sire." He heard at the same time his magic let him know that Arthur was outside the door. "Are you sick?"

"No, really, I'm searching for Merlin; I have been chasing him for a while now, but no luck. Is he here?"

"Yes, sire." Gaius opened the door fully and signalled the unsuspecting warlock.

"Ah, there he is. Thank you, Gaius. Merlin! Hey, I didn't know you play the lyre…" Arthur commented very surprise. Merlin didn't seem the musical type.

"Yes, I can also play the fiddle and I can do one song appallingly in the recorder. Are Morgana and Gwen ok?"

"Of course, why wouldn't they be?" Arthur didn't like where the conversation was heading.

"Are you about to die?"

"What? Of course not Merlin!"

"Is Camelot in the brink of destruction?"

"Merlin, are you feeling ok?"

"Sure, why wouldn't I be?" Merlin looked at him huffing. "Anyway, if Morgana and Gwen are fine, you are neither dead nor dying and Camelot is as it was a few hours ago, why are you here?" Gaius flinched… this was going to be one of those conversations where Merlin was buying all the tickets to a long trip to the stocks or the dungeons.

"I'm here because, Martin…"

"Who?" The warlock didn't know any Martin's…

"Martin."

"I don't know any Martin's."

"My manservant _Martin;_ _Mer_lin…" Arthur answered exasperated.

"Arthur, your manservant of this week, it's named _Alvin_." He tried to keep track of Arthur's parade of manservants, in the event that one of them was a sorcerer; trying to kill the prat.

"Close enough…" The Court Physician shook his head, amused. "Well, as I was saying, Melvin."

"Alvin, Arthur; _Alvin."_

"Whatever Merlin! My point is: Alvin is really sick so he can't attend me until he gets better, I don't want to be contaminated…"

"And?" Merlin feared for the worst.

"_And_ you, Merlin, are going to take his place." Nailed it… Merlin thought, snorting out loud.

"Arthur, do I look like one of the castle servants?"

"No, of course not… but you work for this castle and this is my castle…"

"I don't care going and sleep in the side streets…"

"Merlin." Gaius warned, not letting the stupid child finish the sentence.

"_Sire."_

"I'm your prince, Mer…"

"You are not; unless you didn't tell me you were Cenred's son…" He interrupted the Once and Future King.

"Merlin!" Gaius called for the second time, astonished.

"_Sire?"_

"Well, these are my lands and so…"

"Arthur, you are not even the heir apparent just yet, so until your royal posterior is sitting on the throne, these are Uther's lands, so go and tell the King that you want a new manservant and if by any mystery force The King grant your whines; I will just go away, even if my mother cry and wail and I most likely will be grounded until my first child born. I am not going to serve you…"

"Merlin, do please shut up, before you end without your head." Gaius was about to go and shut Merlin himself.

"Whatever, I'll ask for your pardon, _sire, _while I give you my back." He snarled really annoyed. He didn't mind saving Arthur's life, but in the moment he became Arthur's servant he was just begging for his future to screw up.

"Is he sick?" He knew that he was going to find some struggle, but in his life someone (noble or not) had never spoken to him like that. Gaius pointed the several empty phials rolling on the table. "Merlin, are you sick?"

"Probably." Merlin answered him from his room.

"It's an epidemic?" Arthur looked at Gaius, whom only rolled his eyes. They were big boys; they could solve their issues by themselves.

"Unlikely, it's mostly Camelot and _you, _Your Royal Highness that are making me ill."

"Ha, ha, Merlin; very funny." Merlin muttered something that sounded a lot like Gaelic.

"Did you just insult me in Gaelic?" Gaius decided to play the plausible deniability card and just leave the room; he didn't have any pressing matters there anyway.

"Would you kill me and end my suffering if I say: yes?"

"Merlin, are you mentally addled?" The Prince looked at Merlin exiting the adjunct room when some whistle was heard. He followed the warlock while working, dampening the fires and removing the probes to cool off. He looked in his element and did everything with practiced ease. "What are you preparing Merlin?"

"Something that will cure my headache or kill me in the process, I actually don't care which actually happens first."

"Wait, wait." He took the bottle off the hands of Merlin. "You're kidding, right?"

"Do I look like I'm kidding? Give me back that."

"Don't you have to wait; so it cools, for a while?" He kept the bottle out of the reach of Merlin.

"I need that potion NOW, Arthur!"

"You are in no state of mind to make the decision of ingest something like this, whatever the hell _this _is, Merlin."

32

In the end, Merlin ended up in Arthur's bed, dozing after a compromise: Merlin would take the potion _if _he listed all the ingredients in said brew (The prince wasn't the Court Physician but he knew enough to recognize if something in the disgusting liquid was going to kill Merlin) and was taken in little sips, every hour;in Arthur's presence while he promised not to go and rattled him out to Gaius.

"How are you feeling?" Arthur asked breaking his concentration and looking away from the reports, when he didn't get an answer. The warlock was sound asleep on his side with one hand under his head and the other resting loosely on his neck; his breathing was deep and rhythmic and the sudden relaxation of the sharp features of his face, made Arthur realize that Merlin was at least two years younger than himself. How someone so young got so troubled in life? He may not know Merlin so well yet, but he could see that the brunet was haunted by past ghosts… what could have happened to make, the sweet and kind boy you could normally perceive: bitter and avoidant?

He didn't have any answers, but if he did know something was that Merlin couldn't deserve what he lived that fucked him so much. Morgana told him not to press the issue; Merlin would talk when he felt ready. He wasn't a very patience man and the patience in his body was drilled into him and Merlin always sent his princely training right to hell.

33

"Alvin will be serving you on Monday. Aren't you happy?" Merlin told Arthur happily while tidying a bit the table so one servant could place the food with no trouble; he was _helping _Arthur; but he refused to do anything more than the strictly necessary. He woke the Prince up, because he didn't sleep anyway, he tidied the short mess Arthur tended to do with his things on his room, one day he helped dress him and he polished his sword and armour for the sake of old times and that would assure him that it was not rigged or enchanted; he even put some protection runes, very little in the hem of the chest plate, but nothing else.

"You do, though." The blonde couldn't avoid the annoying feeling that filled him when Merlin seemed a little bit too eager to get rid of him.

"It's impossible not to be, my headache is nothing more than a dull throb in the back of my head, Camelot is in once piece and so are you, everything is dandy. Don't worry, I assure you: it's not going to last."

"Are you going to be serving me in the banquet my father is throwing to celebrate the treat of peace with Mercia?" The Prince was still astonished that he had to ask (for real) to Merlin if he would do something, instead of just ordering him around, but the warlock made his point very clear two days ago…

"Sure, I was just planning on doing a little of research and then hit the bed early. But I will sleep late anyway, so, no prob, Arthur."

"What are you researching?" The brunet arched an eyebrow, Arthur was genuinely interested.

"I'm researching something that you should not ask and I should not tell…" That should cover all his bases.

"Is this 'research' going to land you in trouble?" Arthur inquired feeling concerned.

"Unlikely." The warlock shrugged indifferent.

"Promise?"

"Promise? What are you twelve?" Merlin reproached the Prince, huffing.

"I'm fond of you, who would entertain me then if you are to go?"

"I'm glad you find amusement in my person, _sire._" The warlock rolled his eyes and Arthur smirked.

"Are you busy?" The Prince asked after a little bit of thought

"Noup."

"Do you play chess?" He pried, eyeing the warlock. Merlin smiled fondly like remembering something.

"Of course, want to play?"

"That crossed my mind, yes."

"Let me set the board."

"How do you know where I keep the board?"

"I'm all knowing, Arthur." The knight snorted, rolling his eyes and waited for Merlin effectively set the board. "What colour do you want to play?" Arthur always changed places every time they played, trying to defeat him.

"Take your pick." Of course this was going to be the first time Arthur was going to be beaten in chess (aside from morgana and his own father).

"I would take black, then…" He didn't really mind.

"Very well… knight to G3" _So Arthur,_ Merlin thought fondly.

"Pawn to B4."

34

After a lot of babbler that Merlin did not listened, Bayard brought a chest and opened it, showing everybody a chalice worth of a King made of silver incrusted with rubies and emeralds. Merlin was telling something to one of the servants and wasn't paying attention until Arthur called for him and gave him the chalice so it could be filled with wine. Merlin just rolled his eyes and took the chalice taking one jar and filling the cup, Alvin called him again and Merlin just gave the chalice back to Arthur, no paying attention to his hands; he answered the servant whom just nodded and went away then _he paid attention._

The veins on his hands turned black and his fair skin was ashen, he remembered what was going to happen if Arthur drank of that cup… he hurried to where the Prince was and seconds before he could drink, Merlin sealed the chalice with his hand.

"Merlin, what the hell are you doing." The celebration stopped abruptly.

"Don't drink it Arthur, the chalice it's poisoned… Observe." He asked calmly to the Prince, retiring the hand off the cup; Arthur then noticed that the chalice was tarnished where the wine had touched. The blonde let the cup fall and he noticed Merlin's hands, freaking out and sending everything to hell.

"Merlin your hands! Oh My God!"

"Arthur, Arthur…" Well, now everything was a pandemonium, people were shouting; Uther was trying to apprehend Bayard and Bayard was yelling rather loud: foul play. "Everybody calm down!" Emrys commanded trying to bring the circus down. Nobody was more stunned than him, when people relented at his words. "Arthur calm down! You are fine. My hands are this way because I have been poisoned with the Mortaeus flower before! This is how I knew the chalice was laced! It's just a warning; I'm immune to the thing." After he stopped Arthur of having a heart attack on his behalf, he turned to the King of Mercia. "Sire…" He talked to Bayard…

"What do you want, boy?"

"Take a good look at the chalice, sire; is this the cup you brought with you?" Peace with Mercia… that would most certainly made his life easier. The King looked at the chalice…

"No! The pattern was different! I swear! I designed the thing myself!"

"Then we should search for the real chalice to solve this misunderstanding, sire! It has to be in some place in the castle!" He looked at Uther and if the King decided to be difficult he was going to bewitch the stubborn man, he was a mundane as they come… even Arthur was more perceptive to the changes in the lands.

"Very well! Knights! Go and search for the Chalice! No Mercian Man leaves this room until the gift it's found out!

Merlin joined to the search party but he went in opposite direction, when he knew no-one was going to see him, he summoned the real silver chalice Nimueh most certainly just threw the real chalice away. He sniggered when the thing appeared in front of him. He planted it in somewhere less obvious and then joined Arthur again.

35

"Arthur! Look!" Merlin waved to the prince, whom jogged to where the warlock was.

"What is it, Merlin?

"Doesn't this look suspicious to you?"

"No?" Arthur didn't even know what he was looking for. There was just a wall of irregular bricks like every other wall in the castle.

"C'mon Arthur, _observe._" Merlin requested, pushing his head closer to the wall. Arthur touched the wall and one of the bricks was sort of distended. The prince reached for his dagger and with its help he removed the brick altogether, inside were some pieces of fabric and the chalice.

"What do you know…?" Arthur said to merlin chuckling, showing him the silver chalice. "Bayard's indeed innocent."

"Of course he is… if there is something that Mercia and Camelot share is the hatred for magic… Bayard would never have used a magical poison to kill you…"

"That's how you knew that Bayard was innocent?" Merlin winked at him and left the room.

TBC


	5. Lancelot's return

**Chapter V: **Lancelot's return.

**AN:**_ I should have updated sooner... I tend to forget about theses things. I apologize, well, this chapter is just as any other chapter and forgive any horrific mistake you find along the way. This chapters is quite long... ergh, well! Enjoy, I guess._

"Merlin."

"Yes, Gaius?"

"Are you planning on lazing all day? Since Alvin returned to the service of Arthur you do nothing but loitering around like a walrus…" The old man criticized Merlin.

"And I'm loving every second of it." He made the Physician know, chuckling when he received the eyebrow of doom.

"Merlin, get out of that bed in this very instant and go and find me theses herbs." Merlin hummed pretending to ignore his mentor. The old man stuck the piece of paper in the neck of the shirt of his protégé. Merlin squirmed and shrieked very unmanly and Gaius laughed last.

37

Merlin was picking herbs very unsuspecting, he was very happy the moment he found a very rare plant that was panacea, he would swear on it. The warlock frowned when he heard sounds of fighting and struggling. He opened his eyes wide open full with surprise. Fuck his life! Lancelot!

"Move! Move!" Merlin's eyes went directly to the big bloodied gash in Lance's abdomen. The creature cried irritated and charged against Merlin. The Warlock appeared his staff and hit the Griffin in the centre of the face; the creature went flying back by the powerful magic that repelled him.

"_Bregdan anweald gafeluec."_ Chanted Merlin and his staff burned blue, the warlock tried to kill the beast; but the griffin looked at the flames and fled, wailing in fear. Merlin turned back to ask Lancelot to keep his secret and stuff, but the future first knight was passed out on the ground. "Oh Lancelot… whatever am I going to do with you?" Merlin vanished the staff and knelt before the brunet. "Well, I suppose we can't have you dying. After all you did save my life and Arthur's before you decided to go all honourable and give Gwen to Arthur. But this time _you _are going to be a knight like yesterday and propose marriage to Guinevere like in a year from now so I can rest my poor head…" Merlin was talking to himself while dragging the future knight from a leg, helping himself with magic; so he wouldn't kill Lancelot in the process.

38

"Merlin… did you find me those herbs? I don't want to see you splattered in the bed when I enter in this room, do you hear me?" Gaius went into the room and instead of find Merlin lazing out in his bed, his apprentice was sewing a man, with the practiced ease that only years of experience gave to you. "By the Gods Merlin, what are you doing?"

"Patching Lancelot up." The wizard answered nonchalantly. The old man hurried to where Merlin was working, to check that the poor unsuspecting patient was not going to die in the _tender_ care of his inexperienced apprentice. Unexpectedly Merlin sewing was better than his own; the technique was unique, meaning he had not seen it before and instead of a straight needle Merlin had bent it to form a semi-circle and was driving the needle with some flat scissor, the wound had been cleaned up with hot water and soaked in Rosemary from the smell of it to proceed the sewing. The man would survive with nothing more than a scratch. "Who taught you to do that?" He could not, not ask…

"Life, Gaius…" Gaius gave him the eyebrow. "And you of course." He offered with a wicked smile.

"You learned to sew skin only by looking at me?"

"Yes?"

"You are a horrible liar, Merlin."

"I'm not; I'll tell you: I'm an awesome liar… I am alive, am I not? That makes me a lot better than your regular crook." The physician sat in the bench by the table.

"Merlin, you should NOT take that as a compliment. There is nothing to be proud of being a good liar." Merlin looked at his mentor mutinously while fastening the last stich in Lancelot's wound. "You want to be proud of something? Then be proud that in the future you will make an excellent physician, my boy."

"I hear you…"

39

Lancelot woke up in an unknown place… the room smelled fresh and somewhat woody and underneath, something sweet and soft. It was amazing the feeling of being in that room, so he was not in a tavern, besides the mattress was extremely soft. He tried to sit down, but pain flared in his side leaving him grinding his teeth. He tried again this time slowly.

Merlin looked at his right to find Lancelot standing very uncomfortably and quite lost in the threshold door of his room.

"Good Morning, I'm Merlin, you have been sleeping for the last two days and you are in the Court Physician's quarters in the Castle of Camelot."

"Ergh… thanks, _um…_ Merlin, that's good to know. Do you know how I ended up here?"

"You were mauled by a griffin, that's the name of the creature you fought and I brought you here after you spooked the beast."

"How did I do such a thing? The beast was killing me, not even trying."

"_Fortune brings in some boats that are not steered."_ Merlin quoted to Lancelot and then returned to his book.

"Ergh… right… um~ thanks for saving my life."

"No prob. So, what brings you to Camelot?"

"I have dreamt about this day all my life." Lancelot was now making his dreaming eyes, those ones that popped up; when Gwen or being a knight, came up.

"Really? Is your dream to live in Camelot or something?" The Warlock messed with Lancelot a bit.

"I am going to be a knight! For this has been my dream since I was very little!" Ah, the always patriotic Lancelot.

"Ok, future knight, sit down before you pull your stiches."

"Who patched me up? I-I don't have money to pay for this work…"

"Well, then it's very lucky for you that it was I who patched you."

"You…?" Merlin nodded "Really?" Merlin nodded again. "I mean, yo-you are really young…" The warlock arched an eyebrow. "Sorry, thanks."

"Stop thanking me, Lancelot…"

"How do you know my name?" The younger brunet smirked darkly.

"I am a very knowledgeable person, _Lancelot. _Tell me this?"

"Of course, anything for my saviour." Lancelot always so eager…

"Are you a nobleman, Lancelot?"

"A nobleman?"

"Yes."

"No, of course not!" The tanned man, laughed good-heartedly "What made you think I was a… um~ nobleman?"

"Nothing. Lancelot, to be a knight you have to been born noble. It is written in the First Code of Camelot." It hurt him see Lance lose that spark in his eyes. Suddenly his shoulders dumped and his face was dazed with sorrow.

"I- I see… I never thought…" Merlin sighed.

"How much do you want to be a knight?"

"It's the purpose in my life to be knighted and serve the people…"

"But not the King?"

"Is this a tricky question?" Lancelot asked, squirming before the heavy look of the boy, whom not only saved his life, but patched him up.

"Yes." He answered very calm and sincere.

"Well… the kn-knights…" Lancelot stammered.

"Are under Uther jurisdiction…" He pushed.

"I thought Prince Arthur…"

"You probably thought well. Except Arthur is only the prince, in the end: Uther has the final word."

"Can I not answer?"

"Of course, never incriminate yourself. First rule of every _not-so-welcomed_ living thing in Camelot."

"Why did you ask me, how much did I want to be a knight?"

"I can bend the rules and get you knighted, but you would have to lie; at least in the beginning."

"I don't know… _lie." _Lancelot stammered, insecure.

"Well, then you are never going to be a knight. Don't you want to be a knight?"

"Yes, but I don't want to lie or deceive anyone, this is not who I am, Merlin."

"Oh, believe me Lancelot, with a lot of push there is little you would _not_ do." The warlock thought glazing absently the First Knight. "If you change your mind, tell me. Uther _is _wrong. Lancelot…" The warlock warned putting his hand on the future knight's shoulder and pressing it a little, he let the mundane feel his oppressive magic. "You pull your stiches; I'll have your hide." The tanned man gulped and decided to return to bed. "Atta boy!" He said happily, smiling.

40

"Bitching about your knights, _sire?" _Arthur turned back after giving his swords and armlets to Melvyn or whatever the hell his name was. "Good afternoon, Alvin." _Close enough_ crossed Arthur's mind when Merlin greeted the servant with a polite smile on his face. The servant flushed and stuttered.

"Go-Good afternoon-non Merlin." His stupid manservant curtsied Merlin after stammering.

"You were saying?"

"Never mind…" Arthur was feeling a bit unnerved because of the servant whom was watching them very curious.

"What are you looking at, Martin?"

"Alvin." Merlin corrected the Prince shaking his head with reproach.

"I stand corrected, _Mer_lin." The servant didn't stop with the staring "Go away, Marvin! Go and polish my sword or pretend to be someone useful, _away from here!"_

"Do you have to be such a prat, Arthur?"

"Do not lecture me, Merlin." The blonde picked a few things with him and the turned to the warlock. "Walk with me?"

"Stop being bipolar, Arthur. It does not do well to your image." Arthur snorted.

"Pot, kettle."

"I'm a nobody; I can be a crazy loon for what anybody would care."

"You perturb me sometimes, Merlin." The brunet just shrugged, taking some of the things the Prince had on his arms.

They walked a very short distance and Arthur began to set some sort of training.

"The knights are going to plan your demise for this." The warlock mocked, looking around.

"This is not for the knights Merlin, this is for me."

"I know…"

Merlin giggled seeing Arthur struggling with a bit of wool, rope and a pillowcase. Arthur was a prodigy with any kind of weapons, tactical strategy and he was one hell of a dancer, but you gave him a pair of scissors, some paper and ink and you've got a recipe for a disaster. He still remembered well the fiasco of Arthur trying to do something manual for his birthday because the King knew he didn't like being gifted with expensive things. The stained mattress was lost and half of the King's room scorched, of course that magic fixed the disaster up, but he didn't want to imagine how to clean that with his bare hands.

"Give me that." Merlin snatched the tools from Arthur's hands and he began to do what the Prince was trying to.

"Thanks…" Arthur mumbled ashamed, going away to search other necessary stuff. "Merlin."

"What?" The blue-eyed brunet asked the Once and Future King, without stopping stuffing the pillowcases with wool.

"Are you any good with a bow?" He inquired showing him a short bow and a very rudimentary arrow.

"I can shoot. Why?"

"Because I need a hand."

"Very well, where do you want me to throw the arrow so you can hold the rope?" Sometimes he felt like if Merlin could read his thoughts. When they paired up, sorting their differences out; they were the perfect team. He sometimes didn't understand the very strong connection he had with the younger boy.

"To the thicker branch in the three you can see."

"Got it."

When peasants told you they knew how to shoot a bow, they held and did everything different to how a warrior did it, to how _he _did it. He was expecting Merlin to use the bow to the peasant way, instead Merlin aimed the bow like the first line of Camelot's Archers did it. The cord was tensed with the right amount of force to hit on target, a few blinks in time and the arrow was released at the precise moment and hit a few centimetres off from the intended target; extremely good for someone like Merlin whom shouldn't even know how to shoot a bow. They moved to the next branch and in the fourth branch, Merlin spoke again.

"Arthur…"

"Um?" The knight answered fastening the rope.

"Do you know about the First Code of Camelot?"

"Of course I know about the First Code of Camelot, Merlin! I'm the Prince and a Knight…"

"And a Prat…"

"Shut up, Merlin." The blonde demanded, shoving Merlin with one hand. The warlock giggled and Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Right, anyhow; why are you worried about your knights?" Merlin knew the answer but he needed to board the subject somehow. The prince was surprised that Merlin could see that he was worried.

"Princes do not worry Merlin."

"Arthurs do, though…" The Prince shot Merlin an annoyed glance. "Don't worry _sire,_ your secret is safe with me."

"They are hopeless Merlin!" Arthur told him irritated, throwing the rope abruptly in the ground. Merlin lowered the bow, putting it in stand by position. "Except for Leon whom has trained with me since we were kids, I don't think that even sorcery could make them knights! How do I protect Camelot without knights?" Arthur was beginning to hyperventilate, figuratively.

"There, there Arthur. Here, take your sword and beat things; you'll see how you're going to feel better afterwards." The Once and Future King did as told, hitting frustrated the mannequin Merlin made for him. "Why don't you search for people apt to fight? Believe me, out there are many men ready to fight for the people of Camelot."

"Send my way a bunch of those mystical creatures, Merlin!"

"What about the first code?"

"What about with the first code, Merlin?" Arthur asked stopping the stabbing for a moment.

"You know. Only noblemen can be knighted."

"Is this going to be one of those conversations that I shouldn't be hearing and you shouldn't be talking?"

"Opinions are harmless until they shift into ideas, Arthur. You know it's wrong…"

"Merlin, my father…" The blonde began very defensive.

"It's the King _and human, and wrong… _and you know it."

"The laws are the laws and as the Prince of Camelot…"

"I'm not asking to the Prince of Camelot, I'm asking to a Blonde Prat called Arthur, you know him?" The knight scratched his neck.

"I wouldn't mind…" He mumbled barely audible, hitting the mannequin again. Merlin smiled, of course Arthur didn't mind. "How good are you with a sword?"

"Atrocious… don't even think about it. Besides, I am scholar not a fighter."

"You did ok with the bow…"

"I said no, Arthur. I'm good enough with the bow because I had to practice, until I broke the skin in my fingers."

"Why would you have to do something like that?" Merlin sight got lost in the horizon. A few years in the future he would need to shoot a heavily enchanted arrow that would balance the war. The first time around, like always; he had to learn under pressure and in such a limited time; he failed that arrow and Arthur fell down into a coma for his incompetency. Gwaine had told him it wasn't his fault. He would need years to perfect the shot he was needed to fire. "Merlin? You there?"

"Yes…

"Are you going to answer?"

"I failed the intended arrow and somebody almost died. I fell into a guilty trip and I practiced until my hands bled and I couldn't move my arms and shoulders because of the pain, period."

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter. I should have known better than to shot that arrow with only one week of practice." He didn't tell Arthur that the arrow was so heavily charged that any other spell touching the projectile would throw it into overload and create an explosion so big that both parties would suffer damages. He had to rely in his momentarily magically enhanced senses and his meagre practices. That was the first time he used his magical sight. He did grazed Morgana with the deflected projectile, though. She almost lost her sword arm if not for Sigan and Nimueh who barely had anytime to save it.

"I'm pretty sure the person was thankful. This person lived in the end, didn't he?"

"Said person fell into a coma for almost two weeks before we were able to find out what the hell was wrong and fixed it, when all those things could have been avoided so _easily_. Damn it…"

"It's not your fault."

"I don't want your pity…"

41

Lancelot was looking at Merlin intensely, while the young brunet worked on his wound, which was almost cured by know.

"Merlin, _acht…"_

"Sorry. What?" Merlin stopped momentarily and looked at Lancelot in the eyes.

"Wh-when you said… you know, about the knight _thing."_ The future knight was fidgeting clearly waging war inside his soul.

"So, did you decide to stop being a _selfless moron_ and put your big girl panties on?"

"I-I don't know, what exactly can you do…? I'm not a noble."

"I've got mad skills Lance." He bragged with a wicked smile dancing in his lips and before he could say something else the door opened showing a beautifully dressed Morgana and Gwen always behind.

"Merlin!"

"Hello, Morgana. What is it? Howdy, Gwen." The maid smiled shyly, Merlin returned the smile and Gwen blushed.

"Arthur is being intolerable today! You must do something!" She complained, crossing her arms in her chest; her regal face twisted into a grimace. "He made poor Alvin cry a few hours ago, calling him Melvyn in the process of his stupid temper tantrum! I mean! How bloody dumb you have to be, to not know the name of the person whom dress you every day?"

"It's Arthur, Morgana; I'm honestly surprised that he had stuck with Alvin for so long." He humoured the Princess, searching for some tools that he needed to finish tend Lancelot. "And what do you want me to do?" Merlin asked resigned, returning his attention to Lancelot's wound.

"I don't know! Something! Work your figurative magic and make it better before I slap him…"

"Again, you mean?" He threw more fuel to the fire. Gwen shot him a dirty glare for that.

"Yes! Whatever, again! Will you do something?" Morgana moved brusquely her arms, pacing furiously while talking.

"I'll see what I can do… I don't promise you anything." Merlin promised the princess shrugging. He wasn't going to put with Arthur's temper if it wasn't too necessary.

"I didn't know Gaius left you tends his patients…" The brunet woman mumbled, frowning, getting closer to where the Warlock was.

"This isn't a patient… I found him in the woods trying to escape from the griffin that Arthur has been trying so desperately to kill for the last few days now." Emrys explained without stopping to tend Lancelot's wounds.

"Are you going to keep him?" Morgana pried, poking him with her elbow. Lancelot looked at them in shock.

"He is cute, isn't he?" Merlin asked morgana amused, following Morgana jest.

"Yeah, you should keep it… that ought to give Arthur a coronary." Now the sorcerers giggled together maniacally.

"My lady! Merlin! This is a human being we are talking about!" The tanned man nodded like saying: "Hear, hear!"

"Don't be so uptight, Gwen. We are just taking the piss!" Merlin winked to the Maid whom just blushed as usual.

"Well, we should leave; we wouldn't want handsome Lancelot to lose something important because you were distracted, would we? Are you going to placate Arthur? For the wellbeing of all Camelot, of course…" The Lady remembered, trying to make Merlin say yes.

"I'm not making any promises. If the prat is that horrible I reserve the right to bail out."

"That's all I'm asking." The Ward seemed pleased.

"Then you shall have it, _milady."_ He did a mock bow.

"Well, of course, Good Lord." Morgana curtsied in the same way. "Farewell, Merlin."

"Good-bye Morgana. Bye Gwen."

"Good-bye, Merlin. It was a pleasure to meet you, Lancelot…"

"Oh no, the pleasure it's all mine, My Lady."

"And he speaks. I was beginning to think you were mute…" Lancelot shut up again.

"I-I'm not a La-lady…"

"Let's go, Gwen! We must do our best to avoid Arthur. Merlin! Do not forget rescue poor Alvin before Arthur does something regrettably to that innocent boy."

"Easier said than done…"

"What a beautiful lady! I would die and go to heaven with a woman like her."

"Morgana? Yeah, she is very beautiful and she knows it. Though, Lancelot: I can get you knighted. I most certainly cannot save you from Morgana's ire if she decided to hoard your balls for dinner." Merlin cautioned the future First Knight.

"What? No, no… I'm speaking about Gwen! Such a beautiful Goddess, she is!"

"I rest my case. Rest for a few more days and you can go and get yourself cut in a half again."

"Thank you, Merlin. You have the hands of a healer." The older brunet was really grateful for what Merlin was doing for him. He didn't have any money or properties; he would have probably died if it wasn't for Merlin.

"That's what I do…" Lancelot smiled widely and went to search his shirt and have a little bit of fresh air. "A little piece of advice, Lancelot…"

"Yes?"

"No man it's better than one another to the blind eyes of the lovers. Don't give up just because you think it's the best course of action."

"I don't think I follow you. But I will have it present. It sounds like an omen, I hate omens."

"Tell me about it…"

Merlin was left alone in the room and he decided to stand up and tide up the little mess he had done cleaning and dressing Lancelot's wound.

_Merlin… _

The warlock frowned; his barriers were in perfect place, how the hell Kilgharrah bypassed them?

"_What do you want, Kilgharrah?" _He answered, the Great Dragon could be anything Uther thought it was a more, but he didn't worry needlessly.

_Tragedy will befall upon Camelot; can you feel it, brewing slowly in the horizon?_

"_Yeah, thank you for the outdated newsflash. Why don't you go a pester Nimueh? I'm pretty sure that you crazy birds will hit it off… Stop calling me and messing with my mind, the next time I'm going to shove you out so hard you will have to go into a healing slumber, don't test my patience, Kilgharrah. I'm already fulfilling your stupid prophecy… so, go away!" _

42

When Arthur entered into his room, he bounced, taken by surprise. Merlin was sitting in one of the chairs of the table.

"Merlin! What the hell are you doing here?"

"Morgana."

"What?"

"Morgana sent me; she said that you were being the son of the devil today. And she was going to kick your sorry arse if you didn't improve your attitude. So, sit down and speak, you've got my enormous ears all for yourself." Arthur didn't look so convinced yet. "Speak you mind, Arthur. You know I'm not going to judge you and everything you say in this room will be forgotten when I cross that door."

"How the hell do you kill a Griffin?" The Prince queried mutinous sitting facing Merlin and then he let his head fall on the table.

"With magic." Merlin replied to Arthur nonchalantly; as if the Prince wasn't more than a peasant and couldn't have him flogged or worse… hanged.

"Yes, _Merlin_; except magic is banned in Camelot and sorcerers are trying to kill us!" The blonde looked up relaxing his fists. The Warlock shrugged. "Can you find me another awesome sword?" Arthur asked muffled because his face was again on the table. Merlin snorted and then chuckled; he knew the Prat was blushing inside.

"Of course I can get you another awesome sword, Arthur; but the Griffin_ is_ different." Emrys admitted, standing on and walking to where the Once and Future King was. He put his hands in Arthur's tense shoulders and letting his magic flow to his hand he began to massage the blue-eyed blonde. Arthur purred when he felt Merlin's hands on his clothes and the knots on his back got undone. Merlin's hands were impossible hot and again extremely soft.

"Merlin, you are really good doing this…"

"I know, don't get used to it."

"Right… what do you mean the Griffin is different? How your earth and water thingy is different from this monster?"

"Well…" Merlin settled a little bit harder on Arthur's shoulders. "The Afanc is a creature created with a more abstract form magic."

"Afanc?"

"Yes, the Afanc… that's the actual name of the earth and water thingy…"

"Good to know, what do you mean with more abstract magic?" Merlin stopped massaging Arthur whom complained and looked back; Merlin was searching for something in his room.

"How the hell do you know where is everything in my room?" Arthur asked when the warlock actually found without struggle paper and ink.

"I already told you, Arthur: I'm all knowing." The younger boy returned to the table and made some sort of diagram. "The Afanc was made of earth and water." He showed to Arthur the paper, circling the alchemist symbol of earth and water and joined them by a line "That's why I called it: the Earth and Water thingy. It was created by Nimueh's necessities; it was an abstract concept of magic." He took a deep breath and tried to find a better analogy. "Look at it this way: she could have made it look like a little child, but she went with the monster, it is more an idea than a creature, _per se._ With the Griffin _is _different, this is a creature created by the creation, if it makes any sense. It needs something a little more specific than an 'awesome sword'. Do you understand?" Surprisingly Arthur did, he even understood the diagram in the paper.

"So what exactly do I need to beat this _creature?"_

"Fire."

"Just fire?" Arthur frowned full of distrust, it couldn't be that easy.

"Well, _magical _fire." There was his hope of killing the thing.

"And well do I find this _magical _fire, Merlin?" The Prince asked the apprentice let in his head hit the table again.

"With a sp…"

"Merlin! MAGIC. BANED. PROHIBITED. PUNISHIABLE BY DEAD. Got it? Look…" He tried to pacify himself. "Do I can find this _fire stuff _you are talking about, without a… _you know?"_

"Without a spell?" Merlin offered in purpose making Arthur flinch.

"Yes, Merlin without _that…"_ The warlock took a hand to his chin contemplating the possibilities.

"Well, I don't know if it's possible, I had never contemplated the possibilities before; but give me a day and I can find out, if you want."

"Is this _"find out"_ of you will land you in trouble?"

"Unlikely, unless you open your mouth…" He answered truthfully.

"How are you going to find that information here in Camelot?" His father had destroyed every book in Camelot that even dared to mentioned magic, including those tales for children.

"That's for me to know and for you to never find out. Well, I shall go my way, things to do; a Camelot to save and Arthur, stop manhandling Alvin." He pleaded annoyed by Arthur's attitude regarding the domestic staff.

"Who?"

"Your manservant, you prat!" The Prince just ignored the Warlock and rolled his eyes.

43

"Gaius!"

"What it is Merlin?"

"Do you have by any chance any Eyebright lying around here? I can't seem to find it."

"Why would you need Eyebright, Merlin?"

"Nothing dangerous or strenuous, do you have some?"

"Yes, Merlin, I do have some, I'm using it right now that is why you can't find it on the shelves."

"Right… give me some?" The old man gave him the eyebrow. "Pretty please?" The Physician gave him a stem.

"I'll take what you give me, but don't be a miser, Gaius…"

"That's all you are getting Merlin, if you want more; go a find it in the forest."

"I'm so not liking you right now, Gaius."

"Go! And for the Goddess' love Merlin, do not tell me what you are doing."

"I wasn't planning on it, anyway."

44

Merlin was in a part of the castle that was too close to Queen Igraine's quarters which were forbidden for even Arthur to enter and was always abandoned, unless some servants decided to play naughty and that was the perfect place to hide. He kept walking and arrived to the Queen's aisle. No one and one he told that no-one ever came here, he wasn't exaggerating… be found in Igraine's rooms, could be considerate treason; but Merlin didn't really care, besides if nobody roamed that part of the castle how somebody could found him?

He put the hands in both sides of the secondary room door of the queen and he murmured a very long enchantment with his eyes closed, the door disappeared and the wall evened. He went to the fake wall and took good a look of the room… that would do… he murmured three enchantments in a row and the furniture moved away leaving the entire centre empty, the dust vanished and a white circle formed in the floor.

Merlin sat on his knees and searched for a Blue Calcite stone and a white ribbon on his magical stash. He normally had everything he needed for simple rituals in his pocket dimension. One never knew when a red thread or some Agatha stone pulverized (or otherwise) would be needed. He tied the eyebright to the blue stone with the white ribbon taking his time to create a Celtic knot of medium level of difficulty and put the stone on the circle.

"_Sage winds, raging in storm; appear, appear to give your knowledge away; appear, appear to gift your wisdom and sage." _The wind was swirling inside de circle coming from the window; Merlin's eyes flashed gold and stayed that way while in the circle; a feminine silhouette made of wind, formed.

_What can the Anemoi's do for you, Young Warlock; Merlin Emrys? _A windy voice heard in all the room.

"Hello there. Um~ I've got this question."

_Speak your mind, young Warlock… _The Spirit patiently encouraged.

"Right… um~ is there a way to find some blue fire without chanting the spell?"

_Why would you need to find the gormaingeal outside your magic, Young Warlock?_

"Well, if it were up to me, I would go and vanquish the thing myself, but then Arthur is going to ask questions that I don't want to answer. So you can see my predicament. It sucks… do everything twice because Uther is a blind pig." The Wind Spirit laughed and was like music to Merlin's ear.

_We understand you predicament, young Warlock. Luckily for you, you already speak your mind uncensored to your Charge. Why don't you bottle the Blue Fire, bring it to The Once and Future King and simply do not reveal the precedence of where you found it…?_

"You people are genius!"

_We are here to enlighten those who roam in the word of the living, Young Emrys. It is our Raison d'Etre._

"Don't care; you are still genius to me! Thank you, a lot!"

_Do you need something else, Young Emrys? _

"Noup, but don't worry; you are going to hear from me, _quite often…"_

_Then, we shall we waiting… _

The magic dispersed and the room returned to his normal state.

45

"Lancelot!" Merlin entered the Court Physician's Room, finding the future knight helping Gaius to move some things, around.

"Yes, Merlin?"

"I have decided for you. Come on!"

"What have you decided for me, Merlin?" The tanned man looked warily at Gaius.

"Stop looking at Gaius, Lancelot; he is not going to save you from me. Take this, read it and learn it to heart. You seem to be what I call: 'Arthur's brand' so you'll do ok with a list and annotations." Lancelot read the list out loud and Gaius pried from behind.

"_One: I am the bastard son of Sir Andre de Montbard (note: Sir Andre de Montbard was a knight sorcerer from before the purge). Two: I hated my father so much… _Merlin, what in all heavens is this?" Lancelot was horrified.

"Your way to knighthood, my friend…"

"What?" The poor future first knight was flabbergasted.

"In short: you are the bastard son of a former Sorcerer Knight (now deceased along with all his family and erased from all the books of Camelot). You hate your father because she enchanted your mother, Bez Dulac to sire his heir, but she ran away from your father before she gave birth to you, you grew up hearing the most hideous stories about the deceased ex-knight and then in Bez's death bed from the plague, she confessed you had noble blood and your dream of being a knight to vanquish all the evil and corrupt magic became true, because of the first code of Camelot. Uther will love you, Lancelot. You will have the King's ear. You have no idea how much Uther Hated (and still does) with capital "H" Sir Montbard. The rumours say that if Sir Montbard was to sire a child; Uther would forcibly take the infant away and raise it under his wing so he could turn the heir against his own father. You are like _Uther's wet dream,_ Lance! Yuck imagery, but it makes the point."

"Merlin, I worry _deeply_ about you, my boy…" Gaius was looking at Merlin with a very concerned grimace in his face.

"Well, do not, Gaius. Come Lancelot, in no time you will be ready to do a passable performance of a magic hater, don't worry, you can be your moronic altruistic self; because your mother raised you well, except for the magic bit, of course. I'll introduce you to Arthur and tell you how to win without hurting his sensibilities or having to suffer the Calvary, The Prince Prat put all his knights through… keep the acting only in front of the King and you will be fine, unless you are already a magic hater and then it's a moot point." Now Lancelot was gawking.

"Me-Merlin…"

"Yes, La-Lancelot?" The warlock mocked the future knight.

"I don't know what to say."

"Say yes. Don't be an idiot and do your best to make Camelot a better place. Oh! I almost forgot. Here is your seal of nobility. Don't lose it; I'm not going to make another one."

"How in all heavens did you find a Seal of Nobility with my name on it!"

"Who says you are not the son of Sir Andre de Montbard?" Merlin replied all serenity and calmness. Lancelot realized that his mother name was indeed Bez and she was _dead._

"How the hell do you know my mother's name is Bez? Or th-that she's de-dead!" The tanned man was having a wreaking headache. Gaius was feeling sorry for the guy and he was having the same queries about how Merlin knew so much about Lancelot.

"I've got mad skills Lance; I thought we went through that already, now regarding the magic hatred thing."

"Merlin, I don't think I can pull the magic hatred thing."

"You will, when I'm done with you. C'mon, we've got lots to do. Good day, Gaius."

"Be careful, Merlin. You are playing a dangerous game."

"Gaius, I swear not to use my _you-know-what_ for a month if this fails, deal?" He tried to placate his mentor.

"You are being serious?" That left Gaius stupefied, Merlin giving his magic up even if only for a month? No way…

"I'm always are, my dear Gaius. Move it, Lance!" He yelled demanding at the knight. Lance turned to the old man for assistance.

"I'm so sorry, Lancelot." The Court Physician excused himself giving him a look full of pity.

"No… it's ok…" The future knight sighed, resigned; with his shoulders dumped.

"Lancelot!"

"I'm coming Merlin!"

46

"Is what you are speaking true, Merlin?" The warlock wanted to arch an eyebrow; since when Uther knew his name _and used it?_

"Yes, Your Royal Highness; he even have in his power the Seal of Nobility of the former knight and the seal that was made for him before he was born…" Merlin lied through his teeth with disturbing ease. Uther wouldn't doubt about its authenticity because Montbard protected everything with blood magic, ergo only an heir could break through, albeit a magicless one.

"Show them to me, quickly!" Merlin gave the documents and the silver seal to the King. Lancelot was sweating outside the throne room and couldn't hear anything that Merlin was saying to the King, which was mortifying in his own right. The Sorcerer smirked covertly when Uther gasped after reading the papers. "Call for Lancelot Dulac in this precise moment!"

"As you wish my liege." The brunet bowed, smug of his acting skills and called Lancelot in. "My Lord, allow me to introduce you, Lancelot Dulac, illegitimate son of Andre de Montbard and Bez Dulac."

"My boy." Uther greeted Lancelot as if was Arthur whom was in front of him. "Merlin has explained your situation to me. I grieve the death of your mother with you, son. You are welcome the rest to your life here in Camelot. Merlin told me you want to be a knight?"

"Yes, My Lord. It has been my dream since I was very young." Lancelot spoke all regal with the exact amount of smugness. Merlin smirked; Lancelot was doing a great job with the act. Who knew that the man had it in him?

"Very noble of you! We need more people like you, ready to fight for what Camelot stands… your father was a liar and a cheater Lancelot, my boy. Your mother was a brave woman to run away from such a monster, because a Sorcerer is not a man, Lancelot. It is nothing but a monster!" Lancelot was there bemused with his mouth hanging, Merlin kicked Lancelot to make him react.

"Yes, My Lord! It's a shame that you didn't get my father in time to take him to the pyre, Sire!" He spat the way he had practiced with Merlin. The wizard nodded, satisfied. Uther was swallowing all.

"Well said, Lancelot! Well said, but don't worry, you will have your revenge for your mother when a sorcerer comes to threat Camelot." Lancelot just bowed, meekly; he wanted to get out of the throne room, he wanted to puke. "Merlin…"

"Your Highness?"

"I want you to give Lancelot one of our best rooms and then show him to Arthur. He is to be knighted as soon as possible."

"You wishes, my commands, My Lord."

"You do well, Merlin. It's a pleasure to have you with us, Lancelot."

"Tha-thank you, Yo-your Highness…" He had broken before the Warlock had expected. Merlin hit the man again. "I'm sorry…" The knight saved the face in time, clearing his throat. "I'm very tired from the travel, my lord. I have been traveling for the last four days."

"Hardly unexpected, go and rest. I want you in your best for the feast tonight, Sir Lancelot. I have to introduce you to my ward; Morgana, you and her will be good friends. Now, go and rest!"

47

"I want to puke, Merlin." The knight whined, looking a bit green. Merlin gave Lancelot a bin. "Thank you, that's really supportive." Aha… what did you know? The kitten had claws.

"Oh! My bad, my lord; there, there…" He mocked Lancelot, patting his back. "So, what do you want first, Sir Lancelot, the room or Arthur?"

"I cannot believe this is really happening." Now the pale boy was worried. Lancelot looked really ill.

"The room." Merlin decided for him. "We will leave Arthur for when you don't look like if you are going to pass out.

48

"Arthur!" The knights and his prince were practicing in the field. Arthur turned back and Merlin was coming to him. "Look! I found your mystical creature and what do you know? Nobleman and all!" Merlin stamped the documents in his face. "He is Lancelot."

"Son of Andre de Montbard!" When the prince read that name his eyes opened comically. The knights began to buzz like the castle maids. "This was you stray?"

"Wut?"

"Morgana told me you had picked up a stray. I thought she was talking about a dog or something more dangerous, given your record; but a man!"

"Keh… the traitor…" Merlin murmured mutinously. Arthur looked at Lancelot, like assessing the knight prospect, taking advantage that Merlin was sulking.

"My Prince." The tanned man greeted all polite and even bowing.

"So you are here to test as a knight."

"It's my dream to serve Camelot until the day I die, My Lord!" The dark-eyed man explained solemn.

"Then draw your sword and attack me!"

"If he says: kill me. Do it." Merlin advised the first knight. "Now my lords if you don't mind, I will go now, I have a Ward to kill."

"Wait! Don't go!" Lancelot eyes were full with begging and he glued to his right arm like leech.

"Don't worry Dulac; we are going to take good care of you. You better let Merlin's arm go before your soubriquet gets related to this incident."

"Well, farewell. Arthur, if you are still interested I may or may have not found you some fire…"

"We will talk about this later; come this night to my quarters." Merlin nodded and left Lancelot there looking like a fish out of the water.

49

Merlin flinched when he saw Lancelot all bruised and with a split lip standing in the threshold of the Court Physician's Room.

"I should have told Arthur that you were still recovering from the griffin. That would have brought some sympathy. C'mon, let's clean you up a little."

"I am a knight, Merlin." Lancelot was still in shock, nursing his abused arm. Merlin smiled softly, sitting carefully the first knight in the bench.

"Yes, you are a knight, Lance… you are a knight." The older man had his eyes glazed and a proud grin appeared in his handsome face.

50

"Hiya Arthur!" Merlin's greeted the Prince cheerfully. "Good night, Alvin. I see you are still around here."

"He-Hello, Merlin." The Warlock grinned at the servant. Merlin wasn't sure if he wanted to know why the servant blushed every time he talked to him.

"I have it from here, Alvin. You can go and rest." Arthur put and indignant face when the servant looked at the Warlock as if Merlin was the Gods' emissary and had descended to tell him that he would inherit the heavens above.

"Thank you! Thank you, Merlin!" Merlin snorted trying to hide his laughter.

"No prob, chap! Have a good night." The servant ran as if avoiding a change of mind.

"What is his problem? He looked like if he had just been saved from being tortured to death!"

"Well… what do you want me to say? Here…" Merlin put a leather bag in the table and pulled out a big jar. Arthur looked the jar with distrust; blue fire was dancing furiously inside de glass.

"I thought you were talking about that you knew where to found it! Not that you already had it!"

"I say _to_mato you say to_ma_to…" Merlin rolled his eyes. "You can touch it Arthur. It's not going to bite or attack you…" The Prince took a deep breath and held the jar, uncomfortable. It was cold, really cold.

"How exactly do I use this?" He asked leaving the jar again in the table.

"You drench your sword in the fire. It'll light it up… and then, you know what to do then."

"How the hell am I going to use this without the knights noticing?" Arthur tangled his fingers in his hair.

"Let's go tonight and kill the beast, I'll be your back up. The knights don't have to know or you could tell Lance… he will be ok with using the fire too."

"So, he is Lance, now, huh?" Merlin smirked and Arthur lived to regret his words.

"Jealous much, Wart?"

"Shut up Merlin and the next time you call me Wart, you are going straight to the stocks."

"Aw~ poor offended sire." The Wizard cooed; messing with his hair. Arthur sulked, of course. "Mellow it with your pillow and let me know." Was the last thing Merlin whispered in his ear then he just kissed the Prat in his left temple and left the room, leaving Arthur glowing in pale blue somewhat mystified with his hand on his temple.

51

"Lancelot, a word; just Lancelot, everyone else can go home." Leon whom was one of the knights, who halted when the Prince talked; bowed and kept going, looking furtively at the pair.

"Yes, sire?"

"Ask Merlin to tell you about the blue-fire, tell him I told him to and if after you hear the story you still want to come with us, come." Lancelot only frowned not quite understanding what the prince was talking of.

52

"Give me your swords; I'll do the drench… I don't want a _Prat_ and a _Moron_ torched. I don't want to be the one to tell the King that his golden boys decided to light themselves on fire."

After Lancelot spoke with Merlin about the "Blue Fire" the newly knighted butted in eager to prove himself. That same night Arthur decided to go and kill the thing with only Merlin and Lancelot as back up in order to be able to use the blue fire without mortification.

"Did you just call him a prat?" Lancelot was gawking again.

"Yes, Merlin, did you just call me a prat?"

"Just give me the bloody swords or I will call the griffin and you will have to fight with only the aid your mundane swords…" Merlin threatened extending his arms in order to collect the swords. The two knights gave him the weapons fearing that Merlin would stay true to his words.

When Merlin turned his back and went to prepare the swords, pushing aside the jar with the fire and just conjuring the blue fire direct to the swords, Arthur looked at Lancelot.

"Something's wrong, sire?" Arthur narrowed his eyes.

"I thought the rumour said you hated magic?" Lance stood there like a deer caught in the spotlight. "That's ok… I understand… I would be a hypocrite if… never mind, forget I said something…" Merlin decided to return in that precise moment.

"Here are your swords, mind the blade. Just touch it, Arthur; it's not going to eat you." Merlin drawled annoyed. The Prince took the sword, resigned; he was getting used to Merlin treating him like a commoner. "Here Lancelot, just used it like a normal sword. Ok?" The brunet smiled patiently, giving the knight the sword.

"Why does he get the condescending trait? Discrimination!" Yelled Arthur really annoyed that Merlin had many concession with the new knight and he was left _again_ like chopped liver.

"Ergh, I'm sorry to interrupt but how are we going to find the griffin?" Lancelot got into the conversation, not liking the way where was heading.

"The people said it appears after midnight to snatch anyone stupid enough to be outside with the current situation…"

"Are you calling yourself stupid, Arthur?" Merlin baited the Prince.

"SHUT up, Merlin."

"Of course, sire." Merlin retorted rolling his eyes, while Lance was feeling like having a coronary. How Merlin was still alive, was a mystery to him.

"How long it going to last the fire, Merlin?" The blonde ask to the physician apprentice, realizing that they probably didn't have all night

"You worry about killing the thing, leave the fire to me…"

"Well, sorry for asking, _Mer_lin."

"Merlin, I concur with Gaius, I worry for you, _deeply." _Lance stated worried echoing Gaius.

"Worry about yourself, _sir _Lancelot…"

"Nice try…" The Once and Future King snorted. The tanned brunet looked at Arthur, frowning.

In the moment Arthur y Lancelot got distracted, the creature decided to show himself up. Arthur was the first to go after and the future first knight charged against the creature seconds after. Lancelot lasted two thrust more than Arthur and eventually the Warlock was the only one standing, Merlin just rolled his eyes severely annoyed and taking advantage of the fact that both knights were knocked out cold, he appeared his staff; chanted the spell and killed the thing while the knights were still trying to reanimate themselves.

Merlin dragged the knights to a more safe position, not wanting to add bandits to the mix and waited for the men to return to the land of the living. Lancelot never really passed out, but the punch left him breathless and Arthur was fighting for his consciousness.

"What happened to the creature?" The prince asked, the very first moment he could talk again.

"You wounded it with the fire and eventually died, vanishing in the air." Merlin made up, as per usual.

"Just like that?" Lancelot asked not buying it.

"Just like that… Why? Were you expecting something gorier? You should have been here when the Afanc, ask Morgana, she can tell you." Merlin checked both knights and they were fine, so he straightened and said: "I'm going home; you can do whatever you knights do when you defeat an enemy." And with that he walked to return to the castle.

"Did you see the dark purple staff?" Arthur asked, trying to understand where the bloody staff came from, although he could have imagined the stuff again, he was beat pretty badly at the moment.

"I-I don't really know." The knight admitted frankly. "I don't think I understand what just happened here. I mean, I don't think we really touched the creature."

"Let's get back to the castle; we can grill Merlin tomorrow to know what the hell really happened here."

"And you think he will tell you, sire?"

"_Right…" _

53

The King was yapping happily, congratulating Arthur and Lancelot: both courageous knights that killed the mighty griffin. Merlin was just hidden in the shadows, shaking his head; not believing what he was seeing, of course a feast would be held that night in order to celebrate Arthur and Lancelot's victory upon the Griffin.

54

Merlin decided to skip the feast. He wasn't really hungry and nothing would happened to Arthur that night and Lancelot was with the prat, so he just went to his room, picked a book and began to read under the candle light.

Meanwhile the dining hall was full with joy and celebrations. Conversation flowed as much as the wine, everybody high in spirit.

"So tell us, Arthur, Sir Lancelot." Morgana asked graciously at the feast. "How did you kill the griffin, my Lords?"

The Prince knew his honorary sister was not being malicious; she knew Arthur liked to brag about his killings, but with the current situation, they couldn't very well tell the hall: "well, we didn't know exactly how we killed the beast."

Arthur and Lancelot stared at each other, and what was there to do, but lie? They now realized that maybe all great legends began that way and that quests were not always as grandeur as the minstrels and troubadours made them to be.

"Then sir Lancelot avoided the beast and I stabbed him." The knights invented as they story went.

55

"My conscience is killing me for having to lie like this." He confessed to the Prince once the feast ended.

"And what else could we have done? Tell them that we grazed the thing, got knocked out and then according to _Merlin:_ vanished with the wind?" Lancelot squirmed, forfeiting to Arthur. "Look, let's just forget this day happened."

"So, you are not going to ask Merlin about what really happened?"

"Right… I'll do my best, but I know a lost cause when I see one…" Lance couldn't do more but nod.

**TBC**


	6. The Dragon's sight

**Chapter VI: **The Dragon's sight.

_N/A: No Beta'd and stuff..._

56

Morgana and Gwen were taking their morning stroll by the castle when Lancelot looked at them and approached to the ladies.

"My Ladies!" Lancelot greeted bowing.

"Hello Lancelot." Morgana smirked and winked good-naturedly.

"Guinevere, if I may be so bold to tell you, my Lady that today you are as radiant as the shining sun!" The knight took her hand and kissed the back. The maid blushed darkly and was a nothing to have steam outing of her ears.

"S-Sir La-Lancelot…" She stammered high pitched. "I-I'm not a lady, My Lord."

"To my eyes, you are the most beautiful Queen, Guinevere."

Morgana was doing his best to hold his laughter, snorting very un-lady-like from time to time and arching her eyebrows.

"My Lady, I would want ask for your permission to take My Lady Guinevere when she finishes all her duties today." Morgana snorted and laughed when the knight finished.

"Of course, Lancelot… Gwen, you are released from your duties today, go and enjoy your Knight! That's an order."

"My-My Lady!"

"Nothing, go you crazy birds! Go! Do not worry about myself; I shall search for Merlin to entertain myself. Enjoy!"

"Come with me, My Lady! I have so much to say and to show you!" He took her and tugged her close to his body and then they jogged happily to wherever Lancelot planned to go.

Morgana nodded, satisfied with herself. Gwen and Lancelot were made for each other, she _had seen it_. They would marry, and she was going to give them the BEST wedding ever. She had all planned; Merlin and herself would sedate Uther and then they would threw the party; Arthur would marry them, of course; he would be Crown Prince by then. She was contemplating send Uther with some friends or something, so they could have the castle for themselves for a few days. It was a better option than the sedation but alas… she took what she could get.

Morgana walked to the Castle, giggling when Lancelot brought a baby breath and put it in Gwen's hair who was staring full with adoration at the knight. It would be _awesome! _Smirking, she set herself to find the elusive apprentice.

"Gaius!" Camelot's Princess knocked the door and enter, finding the Court Physician starting the day.

"Lady Morgana, are you ill, my dear?"

"No Gaius, I have never been better!" She told him "Is Merlin here?"

"Yes. Merlin!"

"I heard, Gaius. Good Morning, Morgana. Is Lancelot professing his undying love to Gwen with really corny poetry?" The ward laughed until some tears jumped her eyes.

"How did you know?"

"Lancelot is an excellent person and even a better knight… but he's an awful poet. But alas, love blind us all. Don't you think, My Lady?"

"Speaking from experience, Good sir? Some fair maiden waiting somewhere for you?"

"Nothing far from the truth, Morgana, my only loves in this life are my mother and knowledge. I have never had much time for the petty and fleeting joys of love."

"You only need the beard, the grey hair and I can see you with a pointy hat…" She joked flicking the warlock's hair.

"No; no hats, please! I hate hats… I see a hat; do you know what I do to them?"

"No, but you can tell me…" Morgana grinned malicious.

"I burn them."

"Of course you do. Well, let's go and find some hats to burn."

"Yeah, maybe we could sneak into 'lady' Boniface's room, steal her hats and make ourselves a very nice pyre with them."

"What a wonderful idea Merlin!" She agreed with the apprentice locking their arms.

"Merlin! Morgana!" Gaius reprimanded them.

"Don't worry Gaius; we know how fond you are of 'lady' Boniface. After we burn all her hats we shall tell her how eager you are to comfort her." Gaius face was priceless and they left the rooms laughing their asses off, before the physician could find his way out of the shock.

"Poor Gaius, Merlin!"

"Indeed, I wouldn't wish 'lady' Boniface to any of my enemies ever! I'm still trying to figure out if she is really a woman… because I tell you, Morgana! Pink does not equal a woman!"

"How right you are. Well, shall we going and pester our good Arthur or are you really planning on destroying all of 'lady' Boniface's hats in the name of good taste?" They both sniggered.

"What about we just sit down and drink tea and I promise to embroider some of that _graft_ you have been working for years but never quite finish, so the King doesn't suspect you don't really know how to sew?"

"Arthur is right, Merlin. You really are such a girl." The blue-eyed boy rolled his eyes. "But you've got a deal, Merlin. How do you know how to embroider?"

"I am a man of many talents, Morgana."

"Ah yes, Arthur told me you can play the lyre… I never pegged you for the musical type."

"I'm not; I just needed something that would make me stop thinking for a moment, I needed for my head stop spinning, the world was moving a little bit too fast and I was feeling sick of it." Morgana bit her lips, she has been dreaming…

"Has the world been spinning a little bit slower?" She said softly in sympathy.

"Yeah, yes…" Merlin answered honestly. "Now I feel like trapped in a really weird illusion."

"You are not dreaming, Merlin…" She assured him, but Merlin looked at her like contemplating the possibilities.

"How do you know that we are nothing but a dream?"

"If this was a dream, wouldn't the world be perfect?"

"Yeah, let stop here, that's not a very sound argument and try to explain to you why it's not… I'll just be me, begging for a headache."

57

"My Lady Morgana! Somebody had sent you flowers!" One random maid appeared in the Princess antechambers, where Merlin was in the floor embroidering a very complicated pattern and Morgana was sipping tea, amused that Merlin did really know how to embroider complicated patterns better than most women. "Who do you think sent you this, My Lady?" Maid was waiting for the juicy details so she could then go and gossip in the kitchen.

"Somebody's wishing you death, Morgana?" The warlock asked, standing up when he saw the bouquet.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Merlin nodded, not surprised that Morgana knew the Language of the Flowers, it's was frowned upon; because of being too close to sorcery, (whatever Uther had in his mind; he would never now…)

"Something's wrong, My Lady?"

"The Lilies are the flower of death, especially white lilies." Merlin explained patiently. The maid took her hands to her lips with surprise in her face.

"Maybe some ignorant whom doesn't know the noble language of flowers? After all they are really pretty." Morgana proposed, arching an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, it is most likely than our conspiracy theories."

"Do you want me to throw them out, my lady?"

"That would be such a waste, Leonor. Gwen didn't have time this morning to bring me flowers, put this there, even if somebody is trying a clever form of forewarning about my probable untimely demise; the flowers will not do any harm." Merlin didn't say anything but he wanted to tell Morgana to throw the flowers in the garbage, he didn't exactly know why.

"Right away, My Lady…"

"I still can't believe you actually know how to embroider…" Morgana mocked picking up the embroider hoop. Merlin had done some Celtic themes in the background that shone with the light, because of the silver and golden threads that Morgana always used in his fruitless tries of embroidering something, so when the King asked for her last work of _art,_ she could show him _something. _Merlin just smiled shyly.

58

"Why are you serving Morgana?" Merlin almost dropped the phial he had in his hands when Arthur strolled in the Court Physician Room, demanding.

"As usual, Arthur; I don't know what are you talking about… do you mind put in context so I can know why are you chewing my head off?" The brunet decided to let anything breakable and moderately important in the table.

"Don't think I'm stupid Merlin! I heard the maids talking! You were with Morgana, _embroidering, Mer_lin… isn't there any remains of manly honour left in that scrawny body of yours? _Embroidering? _Is there something more emasculating that _embroidering?"_

"Well, we most certainly have different opinions of what is emasculating. But I still don't know what are you talking about. I was just with Morgana because I opened my big mouth I told her that I would gladly burn all of 'lady' Boniface's hats and she got a little enthusiastic, so I told her that if she agree to just sit with me a have tea; I would embroider her something, so when the King asked her what was her latest work she could held the lie that in fact; instead of sewing she is learning how to handle a sword with _Gwen._" A grimace of understatement crossed the Prince's face. Yeah, his future wasn't very bright if his father found about _that_.

"I don't like it, anyway!" Merlin looked at him arching an eyebrow, saying_: 'What's wrong with you?'_ "She is _evil, _Merlin: _evil_… she will steal your soul and eat it with Gwen, Merlin!"

"Right, because Gwen is so the type of stealing souls and eating it at midnight…" Arthur looked at the warlock, like saying: _'you are missing the _point_.' _"If that is all that you wanted to say, go away, _sire._ Some of us are actually busy."

The Once and Future King spun on his heels grumbling. Merlin just shook his head with reproach looming on his face.

59

"Lancelot: We. Have. Drill. NOW!" The Prince took the first knight from his ears and pulled them. Lancelot complained the abuse and Gwen drowned a shriek of fear on her throat; her beloved Lancelot was in trouble because of her.

"I'm so sorry, your highness! It was my fault! Lancelot was just helping me."

"It doesn't matter Gwen. Say your farewells to you damsel, knight. How are we going to protect Camelot if we don't train?"

"I will see you later, my beloved queen. I have your lovely face burned in my mind, so I can think of you every single moment away from y… Ah! My Prince, my ears!"

"Shut up, Lancelot. My God, Merlin isn't overreacting when he tells people that you are the ultimately sob."

"Bye, Lancelot!" Arthur just rolled his eyes; pulling the knight away from his beloved. The castle was going to have a sugar overload with this pair.

60

"Morgana, what are you doing?" Merlin asked very curious when he saw the Princess in the antechamber's table _embroidering_, which she hated with passion.

"Well, I woke up this morning and told myself, if Merlin can do it; I don't know what I have been crying about…" The warlock did his best to not flinch. "Yeah, I know… I butchered it, which is why yours is safely tucked in my case. Actually, Merlin; I'm not feeling good." Now _that _was worrisome. The warlock touched her forehead.

"Well, you don't have any temperatu…" Morgana paled; Merlin fretted. "Are you in your days?" The Lady laughed, not really caring about Merlin indiscretion.

"No Merlin, I never suffer in my days…"

"What about you go and rest in your bed, Morgana?"

"Y-yes, tha-that seems a good i-idea…" The Seer stood up, leaning on the Warlock. In the very instant Morgana's body was upright; she passed out in Merlin's arms. The boy cradled the princess and shouted to the first person that crossed Morgana's hall, to search for Gaius while he took the still body to the bed.

Merlin put Morgana's body in the bed very carefully; she was ashen and sweating cold. The warlock's hands shone in a barely noticeable gold colour and he touched her, but he couldn't find anything _magically_ wrong with her. It was very possible that a natural illness had affected her, but he didn't get bad feelings for nothing. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened again the irises were flashing gold, he leaned to the body and he looked at the hands, up to the arms; shifting to the chest and in the very moment he looked at the forehead, something attacked him. He felt his eyes burn; his hands were immediately to the affected zone and the only thing he could see was a black miasma consuming everything. He tripped and some warm arms broke his fall.

"Merlin, my boy; are you ok?" Gaius then… the old man turned him and gasped. Merlin's eyes were red and bleeding and some parts were already bruising. "What happened?" The Physician asked the sorcerer who was sobbing and screeching because of the pain; tears fell down, mixing with blood.

"My magical sight, I don't know, I can't see anything, magical or otherwise! When I tried to see what happened to Morgana, something is wrong with her head; something went like a parasite to my magic and everything hurts. Gaius! Make it stop!"

61

Gaius didn't know what was wrong with Morgana except where the infliction was coming and that was thanks to Merlin whom was still blind. Luckily the bleeding in his eyes had stopped a few hours ago and the young man was just thinking. Gaius didn't know about what exactly. Merlin was remembering that someone had done something similar to Morgana in his first timeline, it was fuzzy; as usual, but fire and burned flesh came to mind… a bug was eating Morgana's brain but he couldn't remember whom was the one causing it. Panacea, he also remembered: a cure for all illness, hogwash; some convoluted scheme in order to kill the King, _again_.

"Merlin, how are you managing the pain?"

"Ga… ius…" The brunet talked very slowly. "I'm having trouble… speaking. I'm feeling close to nothing… at this moment. I'm not really… sure how… I… awake."

"Merlin…" Gaius said with his best reproaching voice. "You were wailing and crying in my arms trying to mitigate the pain. Do try and rest, I don't know what Opium is going to do to _you-know-what._"

"I can't feel my _You-Know-What."_ That was the drop that overflowed the glass. "OH GODS! You killed my _You-Know-What,_ Gaius!"

"Merlin, rest…" The Physician make the young man lay back. It was disturbing watch Merlin's face and see his eyes bandaged.

62

The words of the suspicious man were still spinning in his mind, especially after his father told him that Gaius didn't know what was happening with Morgana, beyond of the fact that her body was shutting down and she had brain swelling, whatever the hell _that _meant. Apparently it was Merlin's doing the fact that they knew where Morgana was ailing, because outwardly there was nothing noticeable wrong with her, so he was going to do the sensible thing a go and ask Merlin if there was such a thing as a "cure for all ills." Maybe he would ask Gaius too. Now that he thought about it, it was Gaius to whom he should be talking with, not Merlin whom was just the apprentice. The Prince knocked the door and waited for somebody to answer.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Gaius."

"Good afternoon, Your Highness; is there something you needed? I'm afraid that Merlin is rather indisposed this afternoon." Gaius didn't quite want the Prince seeing Merlin like that because of the questions that would rise, especially because Merlin, drugged as he was; was still blurting that he couldn't feel his _You-Know-What_ from time to time.

"What did the idiot do now? Tripped and broke an ankle or maybe a bump in the head?"

"Ha, Ha, Ha. I'm cracking, Arthur…" Merlin appeared from the little room. Arthur opened his eyes, surprise disfiguring his handsome face when he looked that Merlin had his eyes bandaged.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Ah… you're talking about this?" He asked touching his blindfolded eyes. The Once and Future King wanted to go and shake Merlin. How could he be so _calm_?

"Yes, Merlin! I'm talking about the fact that you are blind! What happened?" Arthur was scandalized.

"Merlin I must bespeak that you stop walking before you faint. I already told you, you are under a powerful sedative, so SIT DOWN or better do me a favour and go back to your bed and sleep."

"Merlin, for the love of the goddess; sit down…" Arthur ordered taking himself the warlock to the bench, even if Merlin was apparently not having any problem to walk while being blind.

"Better take him to his room, if it's not much of a bother, Your Highness…" The Physician recommended, carefully. The warlock was waiving, it would have been somewhat hilarious if the situation wasn't so pressing.

"You heard the man, Merlin. Let's go so you can rest. Are you going to tell me what happened?"

"I, being my clumsy self, that's all. Did you want something?"

"I think you should just rest, Merlin. Is this going to be permanent?" He asked very, very worried. He couldn't image someone like Merlin, _blind._

"Noup… at least we don't think so…" Arthur sat Merlin in the narrow bed and touched the bandages very carefully.

"Ca… Can I see?" The warlock sighed after hearing the Prince's voice. The brunet carefully took the bandage off. Arthur gasped.

"Fuck! Merlin! What did you do? Throw acid at your eyes?"

"There is nothing to worry about." The wizard began to put the bandages again and Arthur tried, (_tried_ being the operative word) to help, but Merlin just kicked him softly, his shaking hands were more of a bother than help.

"Yes, you say that a lot." Arthur criticized his friend… yes, up to that point he considered Merlin as a friend, no matter how crazy that sounded.

"Then maybe you should believe me when I say so. What are you doing here, Arthur?" The injured asked his tongue was beginning to roll again.

"Merlin, I need you to sleep and get better." The last thing he needed right now, was the apprentice in bed as bad as Morgana was right now.

"Just tell me, you prat." The wizard tried again.

"It was something stupid, just rest Merlin! That's an order!"

"Fine, whatever…" The warlock mumbled insubordinately, rolling in his bed to find a comfortable position that wouldn't hurt his eyes.

"Merlin?"

"What?" The younger boy acknowledged the Prince, feeling really heavy.

"Is there such a thing as 'A cure to all ills'?" Now that he pronounced it out loud, it sounded really ridiculous.

"Don't be an idiot, Arthur, there's no such a thing as Panacea."

"Right… you're right. _Rest_ Merlin…" He gave Merlin a sideway glance, before exiting the room; to be received by the worried face of Gaius. He was aware that Merlin was a very important person to Gaius, almost a son to the old man.

"Is he sleeping?" Gaius asked Arthur when the Prince got out of the room.

"He was dozing, I don't know if he is going to sleep, properly, I mean. You hit him hard with whatever it is that you dosed him." The Physician nodded. "Will you tell me the truth about what happened?"

"I will tell you that he was hurt while trying to help the Lady Morgana." _How _Merlin was hurt; well… the Prince didn't need to know that.

"I figured much, the idiot! What good he will be to us if he keeps getting hurt? What if he dies?" _Now, _that was something that made Arthur fret.

"You should tell him so, sire. He makes deaf ears to my pleadings. Now if you excuse me, I need to check on Morgana."

"Is she going to be ok?"

"I cannot make any promises. The brain is a delicate organ."

63

Arthur was being a little menace… the knights were beginning to plan a strategic retreat, when Leon gathered enough courage while being cheered by Lancelot's glances; to ask the Prince if everything was all right.

"Are you ok, Sire?" Everyone gulped before Arthur's glare.

"Am I _Ok?" _After that question, the Once and Future King _lost it._ "Yes! Of course I'm OK! Pea_chy!_ Morgana is dying and Merlin's blind because Morgana's dying! I'M CRUSHINING IT!" Everyone regretted that Leon asked; even Lancelot, whom hadn't been knighted very long ago, could see it.

Everyone heard Galahad shrieked. _The reason? _Merlin was walking right pass them. The Prince was going to have a coronary when he saw the boy… everyone had heard by now that Merlin got hurt saving the Lady Morgana. The maids were having a field day with the gossip.

"MERLIN!" The poor unsuspecting wizard, jumped, almost falling to the ground.

"Arthur had nobody ever tell you not to scare unsuspecting people?"

"_Merlin_, Gaius told me you were _drugged_. What the hell are you doing walking around outside your room, _alone?_"

"_Arthur. _I'm _temporally _blind, not gimp. Don't you have anything better to do than to pester me?" _Wrong answer, _Arthur didn't have time to burst, though.

"Merlin, Merlin! Oh! Thanks the sweet goddess I found you! Gaius needs you right now on Morgana's Room!" Gwen appeared in crisis, she was crying very upset.

"Is everything ok, Gwen?" Arthur asked still feeling annoyed.

"You have to come with me, please Merlin, quickly!" The future Lady Dulac was so out of her mind, she didn't register the Prince talking to her.

"Wait, wait; don't pull me like that Gwen! I haven't quite mastered _running _while being blind!" The maid realized that Merlin was indeed blind; she had been so preoccupied with Morgana, she hadn't had the head to listen to the recent gossip.

"Wh-what happened to you, Merlin?" She whispered taking her fingers very carefully to Merlin's bandages.

"A mishap, nothing to worry about. Let's go… just, take it slower with me Gwen."

64

"Gaius, what happened?" Gaius face was full with relieved when he looked at Emrys.

"My dear Guinevere, it is much to ask for you to wait outside for a few moments?" The Physician implored.

"Of course, Gaius! Whatever you need, just tell me."

"Come quickly, Merlin."

By being blind, Merlin's other senses were pretty sharp at the moment; the first thing he noticed when he entered in Morgana's bedroom was the heat and the words Morgana was mumbling while she trashed and wailed in the sheets made of pure silk.

"I cannot quite make what she is saying Merlin, but she opened her eyes and they were gold! Maybe we will lucky enough and you would, we need to stop whatever magic she is doing before the King comes here, Merlin! Hurry, my boy!"

When Merlin was close enough to Morgana, he immediately knew what Morgana was doing, _but why? _He didn't know.

"Do you know something?" Merlin took away his bandages. "Merlin, what are you doing? If you take away your bandages you could damage yourself again!" Between Merlin, Morgana, Arthur, the King and the Kingdom; Gaius was going to have an early grave. He shut up when he watched Merlin's battered eyes; they were reacting to whatever Morgana was chanting. "What is she doing, Merlin."

"She is asking for forgiveness in a language that doesn't exist quite yet… she is looking at the future, Gaius…"

"_Emrys forgive me!" _She pleaded, suddenly jerking up and clinging to the poor warlock. _"I'm begging you; forgive me for what I have done!" _Merlin bit his lips.

"Hush, Morgana…" He bit himself again, he looked furtively at Gaius. _"Silence, my dear; you have done nothing wrong." Yet…_ the blue-eyed boy thought.

"_I was blinded by grieve and bitterness, I didn't want to, please forgive me for the lost lives and the atrocities to come!" _

"_I had forgiven you long ago, Morgana." _He surprised himself, because he really meant it. Morgana was made evil by the situation… she ended evil because of himself and Uther and Morgause poisoned words_ "Situations made us what we were… but we are they no more, Morgana. Please, stop before you hurt yourself."_

"Please, forgive me Father, because I have sin!" She yelled in an understandable language, lost in her madness.

"_I'm so sorry, Morgana. Līflēas Swefn." _Merlin conjured, but something went wrong and Morgana's magic clashed with his own.

65

When Merlin woke up, everything _hurt_.

"Merlin!" The Warlock looked at his side. Gaius, Lancelot and Arthur were there looking at him like if death had warmed him over. He tried to talk, but he couldn't.

"Merlin, how are you feeling?" Merlin just closed his eyes again in pain; anyway he couldn't see much with them open. Gods… everything hurt badly, he wanted to die.

"Is he crashing again?"

"No, he is just in so much pain; he can't be awake for too long before his senses go into overload…" Gaius explained the best he could.

"I still can't believe Morgana had been bewitched! My father is looking for the man responsible all over the city, but it's not enough!" Merlin would give his soul for Arthur to stop yelling.

"Sire, I think you should calm down. You are no good to Lady Morgana or Merlin in this state." Lancelot tried to make the man see reason. Gods blessed Lancelot, Merlin thought before his consciousness abandoned him again.

66

Merlin knew that something was wrong, so he needed to wake up. Everything hurt beyond the imaginable but it was stand up or wait until his body was feeling better and wake up to find out everything went to hell in the meantime. He pushed his body out of his bed and followed his magic. He arrived to a room he didn't quite recognized in his state, he heard people talking. Gaius and someone else he couldn't make up, blind as he was.

_Merlin… are you ok? _

Kilgharrah speaking to him in that moment was like a damn blessed coincidence.

"_No. Can you help me? I need your sight, someone is about to kill Gaius." _He could just order the dragon, but he didn't want to give away his Dragonlord status to the beast just yet.

_Only a Dragonlord can hold the vision of a Dragon, Merlin. It will kill you or render you completely blind in the best case scenario. _

"_I can hold it, please! I need to be able to see, to aim the spell! I can't even outline very well with my magic!" _

_As you wish, Emrys. _The Great Dragon accepted and in the very moment, his sight returned in an explosion of bright colours that almost overloaded his brain and sent him into a healing trance. He saw… of course, _Edwin, _talking. Now everything fitted, now he remembered …

"Hmm. I think you meant: _vaki ierlt."_

"_A-fyrsian Galdor…" _Merlin counterattacked before the spell could hit Gaius, calling the attention of both men. The poor warlock swayed in his feet, feeling the bile in his throat, he sobered quickly, because of Kilgharrah lending him his sight he could tap into the magical reserves of the Dragon; not a very bright move, he admitted; in his state, the tapping would cost him dearly, but it was his only chance to make everything right.

"Merlin!"

"So, you are the warlock that tried to mess with my beetles… I didn't believe it when I heard the rumours, a Sorcerer and a powerful one to boost, was aiding this murdering crown! Preposterous, I said. How does it feel? I'm quite proud of the enchantment myself, one of my best creations; one could never be too careful, but you can see; who it's that possible?"

"I'm quite known by making the impossible, possible. So that's what happen when I tried to see Morgana… you booby-trapped the blasted bugs so only you could see what was happening and nobody could reach at her in time, but you." He now understood. The first time he didn't even knew about his magical sight and when he pushed the bug out of Uther's system, Edwin was already dead.

"Ingenious, don't you think?"

"Sick, more likely."

"Of course, my boy… well, I would love to keep you; such a pretty thing like you shouldn't have to be _destroyed,_ but you know too much, so let's end this, shall we? And then Uther will have his due." Merlin smirked.

"Right, you are completely right, you _do_ know too much, _Gerǣcan tō Ācwellan."_ Emrys conjured, instead of the bright and beautiful gold; his eyes shifted to black. Shadows appeared encircling the Warlock and then they charged against Edwin before the mad physician could finish the spell to be consumed by the fire.

"Merlin! Merlin, you stupid, stupid boy! What are you doing outside your bed?"

"We cannot have Uther dying right, now. Where is he? He is suffering the same thing that almost killed Morgana, isn't he?"

"How do…?"

"Gaius, not now, you can grill me later! I'm on a lent force. I need to save Uther."

"You would save, Uther? Why?" He knew that Merlin hated Uther, even if the kid put a face and was extremely polite and correct when the King was present. Gaius had heard Merlin call the King: murderer and some other less than appealing endearments. Why would he try to save Uther when he could have him die and be done with it?

"Because Arthur is not ready to be King just yet…" He uttered at this mentor bleak and cold, his eyes still black from the spell and then he just went to where the King was dying and squashed the bug maybe more brutal than strictly needed, because he was feeling really angry. He knew that anger was being fuelled by the dark magic he just had used, but he could control it. The first time he used black magic, he went on a rampage; but now was different, now it was nothing more than a tool at his disposal.

In the moment he cured Uther, every force in his body abandoned him.

67

When Merlin woke up, this time for real; everything felt like a dream. He blinked several times and then stirred in his bed, when he looked at his right side Morgana was there napping with a book in her lap. He didn't know how long had he been sleeping, but for the taste in his mouth and the slowness of his body, more than three days.

Morgana's breathing pattern hitched and her beautiful eyes opened.

"Merlin!"

"Hi, Morgana." He greeted the seer with his voice very hoarse and a soft smile on his lips.

"Gods Merlin, promise you are never going to repeat this. You have been sleeping for the last week, if Gaius doesn't assure us that you were sleeping so deep, almost in a coma; we would have buried you." Merlin snorted a laugh. "It's not funny, you irresponsible moron! Arthur told me all you did! Why would you do that?" The Warlock smiled to the seer brightly.

"I would gladly give my life up for every one of you, Morgana."

"And how do you think we would feel, knowing that it's our fault you're dead?" She hissed angrily. Merlin opened wide his eyes: Morgana was crying. He had never seen her cry before.

"Don't cry Morgana, I'm as useless as every other man when a woman cries…" He always felt impotent when his mother or Gwen or Morgana (let's not even mention Freya) cried. It wasn't that he didn't know what to do; he just didn't like the feel of it.

"Promise that you won't do that again Merlin, swear it… I need to know that you wouldn't just throw your life away as if was something worthless!"

"I cannot promise you that Morgana." He said sitting and embracing the woman that had almost killed him so many times. "There are times when one cannot hesitate to do things that nobody would do otherwise."

"I'm scared." She confessed with a broken voice, clinging to his shirt. She had to be beyond panic for admitting something like that or maybe it was just Arthur whom Morgana didn't want to see her weak.

"I know… believe me I know."

**TBC**


	7. Aos Sí Banphrionsa

**Chapter VII: **Aos Sí Banphrionsa

68

Morgana was dreaming. She was dreaming how she was the cause of death of millions of people, she dreamt of blood dripping into a cup, the cup spilled into the floor dyeing everything red. The dream flickered and Arthur drifted farther and farther away into golden waters. She saw a beautiful woman smirking. She awoke with a gasp and Arthur's name prickling in her tongue.

69

Merlin was reading a book sitting in the terraces of the training field like he normally did, except that this time the knights weren't training and most of the sounds of the city were muffled, so it was himself and the trees and the occasional squirrel or hare popping out. He turned the page and looked at the sky. He had been dreaming for the last few days about the Sidhes, the fairies dancing upon the sacred waters of Avalon. He knew that he would soon be facing the psycho ginger that tried to drown Arthur to open a gateway to Avalon, maybe his subconscious was synchronizing with his fears. He looked down to resume his reading but he found Morgana in front of him, _glaring_. Merlin bounced startled and fell down.

"Mor-Morgana…" He spoke, sitting up; looking at the Seer.

"You ok? Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's ok… I was just lost in thoughts." Yeah, so deep that he didn't feel Morgana's awakening magic, coming. "You look pale Morgana…"

"Yeah, it's this dream I've been having… lots of blood and Arthur dying. Gaius says I'm still shaken because everything that happened, but… I don't think so…" She confided in the Warlock.

"Maybe you can see a lot more than normal people can?"

"Do you think that my dreams could be truth? That Arthur is in mortal peril?"

"Well, Arthur is always in mortal peril." He admitted closing the book and fixing his posture. "The Gods know I sleep in fear that one day I will too late and find him dying in a pond of blood or fried by a well-aimed enchantment. You are not alone in your fears." He reassured her softly.

"I'm sick of these dreams, Merlin; I want to sleep, I want to rest and not see people dying or being killed or Arthur perishing…"

"We all bear our crosses Morgana and some of them are bigger and heavier than others."

"What should I do?" The Princess asked him for advice.

"The only thing we can do, Morgana. Keep our eyes open."

"What a shitty advice, Merlin."

"Unfortunately for us: we cannot fight what have yet to come." Morgana couldn't help but agree. Even if she could see the future, they couldn't fight it until the day it would come true.

70

Lancelot was regretting not have been brave enough to ask Merlin to come with them. The Prince suddenly wanted to hunt and Lancelot was the closest person that could _hunt,_ well, he lies: Leon was there too but he slipped away very skilfully, leaving the future first knight faring for himself. So now he was in the woods with a Prince and his Servant, being cold to the bone. He needed to learn how to say no.

"Lancelot, things are not going to hunt by themselves!" The poor knight sighed, feeling every minute more like crying.

"Sire, I'm cold and hungry and your servant doesn't look anymore better than I do." And he wanted to see his beloved Guinevere before nightfall, so he pleaded putting his puppy face. Arthur looked at… what was his name again… Albion or something…? The skinny servant was all wet and muddy, hugging himself with his teeth clattering. He remembered that he had made the servant dip into some brook to pick a petty pigeon that was the only thing he had killed today. He flinched, he was sure Martin was going to tell Merlin on him, and then Merlin was going to recruit Morgana and then they were going to make his life miserable. Arthur opened his mouth when screams called their attention.

"Bandits!" Lancelot shouted, pulling out his sword and going where the fight was.

The servant whimpered, wishing that Lancelot had been brave enough to ask Merlin to come with them… they would be home by now and he wouldn't have a cold tomorrow, but maybe the cold part wouldn't be so bad. The Prince always dismissed him when he was sick, in order to "bully" Merlin (all that the blue-eyed brunet let himself to be bullied, anyway), into service him.

After they defeated the bandits, the Prince threw his bloodied sword at him and went to help the prettiest woman he had seen ever (apart from Camelot's ward: Lady Morgana). It seemed that her name was Sophia and the Prince decided to take the foreign people to the castle. Alvin sighed resigned. Camelot's ward and the Court Physician's Apprentice would not be amused, the servant looked at Sir Lancelot, his favourite knight and the tanned man had a grimace in his handsome face.

"I have a feeling that Lady Morgana and Merlin are not going to like this." The knight had read his mind.

"Do you need any assistance, sir Lancelot?" The brunet smiled openly at him.

"I won't burden you with me, Alvin. You have your hands full with the Prince."

"You're not a burden, my knight! It would be an honour to service you!" Lancelot closed his eyes trying to ignore the not-so-subtle way of the servant of telling him to save him once and for all of Arthur.

"Right, just don't let Arthur hear you say that or at least have Merlin close to bail you out." He grimaced again… the pleading look of the servant was getting on his _moronic altruistic_ (courtesy of Merlin) heart.

"LANCELOT! MELVYN! What are you waiting for?!"

"I'm pretty sure he does know your name and he only does it on purpose to… um~" Lancelot tried to comfort the servant, that line sounded a lot hell better in his mind, though. "I'll shut up now. Let me help you with that." He liberated some of the weight on the servant's body and jogged to reach his prince, the fastest they reached the castle; the faster he would see Guinevere and Arthur would be Merlin's problem. He felt like a dirty vermin, but the Prince was a handful one; most of the time.

71

"My Lady Guinevere!" Lancelot cried once she entered in his vision field.

"Yes, Lancelot, you are free to go…" The Prince muttered annoyed that the knight had ran in the very first moment he saw Gwen not even asking his Prince for permission to go, but he did feel like the knight wanted to be anywhere but with him. He looked at _Alfven,_ the servant squirmed. He was about to ask the servant to refrain speaking to Merlin, but that sounded so petty in his mind; he didn't dare to voice his thought out loud. "Martin you are free for the rest of the day."

"I thought the servant name was Melvyn?" The bearded man whispered to his daughter. The red haired girl just shrugged.

"Tha-hank you my Lord…" The servant fled so fast, he didn't even have time to form another sentence.

72

"Have you seen a pair so sickly in love?" Merlin turned his head to see Morgana and then he looked at Lancelot and Gwen who were the only pair sickly in love (and within his sight range). He smiled softly, yeah, that was how the first time should have come around. Gwen was resting her head in Lancelot's chest while the knight read some book out loud, caressing her hair.

"Yeah, I'm in a sugar overdose…"

"You don't say. I'm really glad that Gwen has found love, tough; especially with a gentleman like Lancelot, I couldn't think of a better man for such a gentle soul like Guinevere."

"Some people are just made for each other."

"I'm also glad that she is so besotted with the knight, so she doesn't bother me anymore about how I need a man of my own." Merlin snorted and sniggered.

"No offense Morgana, but when I speak with you; I feel like I'm speaking not to a man, but to a King. So, I highly doubt you need a man of your own. I can't even think what could be your type of man…" Leon appeared trying to avoid other knight sword, they were training; taking advantage of the fact that Arthur was busy in something that he had not wanted to privy on. In fact, now he realized he had not seen much of Arthur in the last few days. "Or maybe I'm wrong… Leon, huh? He _is_ extremely handsome…"

"Shut up, _Mer_lin." The brunette was all but blushing.

"Of course, My Lady." Merlin mocked with a knowing smile dancing on his lips. "You may kill him from the shock, though."

"I know…" The ward sighed, longsuffering; the warlock patted the seer's hand in sympathy.

"Who do you think is Arthur's type?" She asked out of the blue.

"Women absurdly pretty, fair haired and dangerous to the point of psychoses." He answered without even thinking.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. What about you?" She asked good-heartedly.

"I don't have a type… and I'm not searching. People that I care for always tend to end death or maimed."

"Don't be like that; I'm pretty sure there is someone out there waiting for you…"

73

"Hello, Kilgharrah…" Merlin greeted the Dragon, smiling tenderly.

"At last, face to face Young Warlock; why the change of heart? You seem to feel strongly against me." The golden dragon landed in his rock.

"You did help me, when I need it you the most; even if I have been a bit of a bastard to you. Things changes, I suppose…"

"Indeed, change is but inevitable… I may not know you well enough, but I know you have not come here to chit-chat."

"I have come here to tell you that when Sigan strikes again, you shall be free; but lay a claw on Camelot and you will be no more. I may not look like much, but I can stop you if I want to." The youngling never changed his voice or expression, he wasn't threatening the dragon; he was telling him what was going to happen as if fate herself had spoken. "When things calm down, and after the devastating attack, because I admit I can't match Sigan's power and probably never will. I shall summon you again and take you to the Last Camelot's Dragonlord, Balinor; so you may do whatever you want to do and maybe one day, when the King's crown lay on Arthur's head, you and your kind will return to your rightful place in Camelot, to see your most sought dream come true: Albion's union by the hands of the Once and Future King."

The Great Dragon up to this day had thought he had seen everything to be seen in this world. He didn't know what he was expecting when he sensed Emrys arriving to the palace, but his mind could have never come with such case scenario. He was speechless and in awe; he had never seen such a stare in a human, before the young prophesized Warlock. Merlin was standing there, not smug or arrogant. No… He was standing before him, as a wise and kind-hearted King whom had granted mercy to even the most dangerous of his enemies after an indomitable victory, it humbled his darken by the grieve and the anger; heart.

Magical wind breathed in the inhospitable cave, circling Emrys while his eyes swirled gold. The dragon could see the power engulfing the sorcerer, like a wide open golden ocean. It was a sight to behold. It brought him hope and light back.

"So shall be it, High Priest Emrys." The Dragon bowed in respect after his words.

"I ask you to be patient Kilgharrah; nothing more. Soon shall you be with the most important being in this world for you and maybe… if we play our cards well, something good will came out of all this."

74

_Good afternoon, Young Emrys… we are glad you have called us, again. State your query, Child of the Old._ The Anemoi's talked after Merlin summoned them.

"I'm sorry to bother you, _again_. But I need to do a talisman that makes Morgana's visions less… _aggressive._ I know it's possible, because I have seen it before." The Anemoi nodded.

_We are happy to oblige your quest, Young Emrys. Do you have paper and ink? It's a long way to the finish point._

"Yes, I have all of that… I'll be taking notes. You just tell me what to do; I'll take care of the rest."

_Very well, Merlin. First, you'll need some silver; in this opportunity you are recreating a bracelet. Do you need help with that too? _

"I'll be very grateful. I don't trust my taste and I would like for Morgana to like it and feel comfortable in it… she would be condemned to wear it for the rest of her long life…" The Wind Spirit laughed softly.

_Fair enough then, would you allow us to recommend a necklace instead?_

"I supposed that in the long run a necklace will be more practical than a bracelet…"

_You can decide after we finish with more calm. You will need: jasmine, eyebright; chamomile, cayenne… um~ let us think… according to your fumbling with the lost Princess of Camelot, what her favourite flower would be? _

"I don't know, Gwen never sticks to one kind of flower and Morgana seems to like them all. I think she just like flowers… she did say lilies were pretties."

_Merlin, you mustn't put lilies flowers close this ritual…_

"I'm just saying…"

_Let us think… maybe baby breath? Simple but delicate, that should do… coriander and lavender oil; you'll do everything above a Triskelion made of Lapis Lazuli and some amber dust, preferable under a plenilune; any plenilune will do. We shall inform you when one is about to come. We think that should suffice. What would really protect her will be your magic, embed in the bracelet slash necklace; whatever you prefer in the end. _

"To whom would I be commending the bracelet?"

_The Goddess Brigid, she shall help Morgana after you give the bracelet away. _

"Ok… with her, I can work."

_Do you need anything else, Merlin?_

"Not that I can think of, but thank you…"

_You need not thank us, we love and thrive doing this. What you are doing for the Princess is very commendable, Merlin. _

"Nah, I'm doing this for a very selfish reason…" He confessed looking directly to the spirits.

_We shall be awaiting your call… _They said as ignoring his last words.

"It may take a while find all this, but I know it's not impossible or terrible tiring."

_If you need any help finding the ingredients, call us and we shall answer._

"I may take that a little bit too much to the heart." The Anemoi laughed merrily and went away.

75

Merlin had passed the last few days locked in his room trying to make _silver_, which was no easy feat; especially when the Anemois kept telling him it wasn't _good _enough, if it wasn't too shining it was too dense and so forth, he was at the end of his rope. But nobody could say he was a quitter, because he just kept trying.

He stopped what he was doing when someone knocked very desperate at his door; he made everything invisible and went to open the door. It was Alvin.

"Alvin? What happened? Why are you here?"

"I don't know where else to run to, Merlin! The King is so mad at Prince Arthur he tried to send Lady Sophia to the dungeons!"

"What did you say?"

"The King tried to send Lady Sophia to the dungeons?"

"Sophia? Ginger, ridiculously pretty, Sophia?"

"Do you know her?"

"Bugger! Bugger! She is trying to kill Arthur, you us…" Merlin cut himself short, Alvin was just a servant; he didn't have to know when somebody was trying to attempt to kill the royals.

"I know! I saw Sophia enchanting Arthur but I couldn't do anything! I tried to tell Lady Morgana, but she is spitting mad with him! After a very hard fight they had a few days ago!" Where the hell had he been while everything went to hell again? Right, he was making silver locked in his room. One of these days the royal family was going to learn to save themselves!

"Where is Arthur right now?"

"I think they have eloped, Merlin! What do I do?!"

"You are going to stay here in the castle and _do _nothing. I'm going after them… you have done everything you could do Alvin and that is an excellent job for somebody whom doesn't bother to remember your name. I'll bring him back… I promise. You are dismissed." The servant bowed and went away.

76

Merlin arrived at the lake where the gateways to Avalon appeared for mortals with a mare he had _borrowed _from the stables; he quickly dismounted the beast and appearing his staff, he went to where the Sidhes were drowning Arthur. He flinched; the doors of Avalon were already open, which meant Arthur was more dead than alive.

"What are you doing here? Who are you?" Whatever the hell Sophia's father called himself asked him.

"Silence, you will give Arthur Pendragon back, _now_."

"The Pendragon's heir is already ours, human!" The Sidhes sneered at him. "He shall remind slaves to the mighty Sidhes forever!"

"_I call upon the four elements: Wind, Earth, Fire and Water to come onward. Come gather and close the rift that is shattering the Earth. Something stolen from me has been, The Once and Future King…"_

"It's a warlock, attack him!" The Sidhe King interrupted him. "Quickly! Don't leave him finishes that spell!"

"_Ignis Aethernus!" _Merlin summoned in Latin lifting his staff. The first line of Sidhes that went to attack him became dust after the white flames engulfed them. "Just give me Arthur back, don't be stupid, I'm not here to wage siege! Accept Sophia, whom is sort of innocent in this power play; back and take whatever-the-fat-idiot-call-himself as a sacrifice, I will kill you all if I have to, to get Arthur back!"

"Do what he says… He is the High Priest Emrys, my Lord. He would do _everything _in his power to get the Pendragon back. He is right; if Aulfric wants so much his daughter back to her rightful world, then let him be the sacrifice." A very old female Sidhe spoke to the King, she was dressed with a white tunic and his hair was all white so were her eyes. The monarch seemed to think about it.

"Very well, I'll heed your words, young Warlock. Come Aulfric, Sophia… let the mortal world resume his pace…" And with those words, they disappeared; leaving without any traces behind.

_You will be hearing again from us again, Emrys._

Merlin threw himself in the lake to pull Arthur out of the water. He whined, Arthur was already blue… he vanished the amour to be able to tug the Prince up and not sink with him. When he reached the surface, Morgana was already getting into the water to help him…

"Morgana! What the hell are you doing here?!" The wizard asked the Princess without stop moving, he needed to get Arthur ashore; before it was too late.

"I saw it, I was standing in the halls and I saw and understood what was happening… bitch, trying to kill Arthur in a desperate attempt to come back to Avalon! Oh Gods… is he going to be ok?" She asked pulling as fast as she could to get them ashore.

"I don't know… I will do the best I can, though."

They put Arthur on the ground and Merlin instructed Morgana to hit the Prince's chest with her fist every few seconds while he blew inside Arthur's mouth, in order to get the water off of his lungs.

"Come on, you Prat… breathe, damn it! Why didn't you come and tell me that you liked Sophia so I would know that some crazy bitch was trying to kill you…"

"Oh Gods… how could I've been so stupid. I just thought he was being he usual obnoxious self! Not that some Fucking Fairy Princess was enchanting him!"

"You cannot blame yourself Morgana. This was under the usual parameters of Arthur. Nobody could know…"

"YOU DID!" She yelled, breaking. "YOU FUCKING ALWAYS DO!"

"Alvin came and warned me. He told me he saw Arthur being enchanted by Sophia. I was as clueless as the next person until _Alvin_ came to me…"

"Why doesn't he react!?"

"Morgana turn yourself back." The Warlock asked the Seer, fearing that keep trying to the mundane way would be too late for Arthur's soul.

"What?" She couldn't believe her ears.

"Do you want to save Arthur?"

"YES! OF COURSE! WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT!?"

"Then DO WHAT I SAY, DANM IT!" She jumped surprised. Merlin never yelled and never lost his composure.

"FINE! Fuck this…" She cursed turning his back to Emrys.

Merlin put Arthur's back of his head in the joint of his forearm and arm with his hand on his forehead and then he put his forehead above the hand. Closing his eyes he began to chant very low. Morgana could only hear whispers and something prickling in her skin. After was seemed an eternity to her, Arthur began to choke; whatever the hell Merlin did, brought the Prince back. She flinched; Arthur was coughing blood mixed with the water, clearly having hard time breathing.

"Hush~ my Prince, you are alright…" She heard Merlin solacing Arthur with a broken voice while the brunet held the body as fearing, it would disappear at any time. His eyes were closed shut and a lonely tear ran down Merlin's bony cheek.

77

"So a Seer, huh?" Morgana brought the conversation up, after they mounted Arthur's unconscious body in Merlin's borrowed mare to head back to Camelot.

"So it all seems to point out. I don't think you are just a Seer, Morgana. I think you are a full blown Sorceress."

"What would I do…? Uther will kill me…" She whispered in fear, realizing that the person she regarded as her putative father, would kill her should he find out she was like the people he hated so much.

"You hide yourself and pretend nothing's wrong." He answered perhaps a bit harder than required at the time.

"You made it sound so easy."

"Because it is… Uther is blind to magic and he loves you fiercely Morgana. A blind man is able to see how important you are to Uther. I would not put my hand to the fire and say: should the King find out about your powers he would forgive you and go to the end of the world and search for a cure even if you are not sick. Heed my words Morgana: Should you one day betray Uther, he would never recover…"

"Ma-Maybe you're right…"

"You will be fine, just stick with what you know… and Morgana, never doubt that should Arthur finds out about your powers, he would be mad at you; not because you have magic, but because you didn't trust him enough to confess. Never fear Arthur, he eventually will become quite enamoured with her."

"Have you seen it?"

"Do I look like a seer to you?" She shut his mouth up. "This is Arthur whom are we talking about Morgana, you know he would never turn his back on you. You are his _only _sister, never forget that."

**TBC**


	8. The Son of Magic's Stigma

**Chapter VIII: **The Son of Magic's Stigma

78

"How is Arthur?" Morgana asked when Merlin appeared that night in her antechambers. She had dismissed Gwen and she probably was enjoying her very handsome knight.

"He will be fine, his lungs are somewhat swollen; but he is resilient, he will bounce back."

"What can I do for you this late at night, Merlin?"

"If under the policy: ask me no questions and I shall tell you no lies. Would you accept a present from me?" Morgana looked at his kin with suspicious.

"Ok…"

"Promise me…"

"Fine, I promise not to ask any question." He showed her a beautiful necklace. She felt like it was almost made for her and her alone. It was made of pure silver, she could clearly see that, the links were very delicate and unique; it had a little charm hanging from the chain with the form of a Celtic knot that she didn't know its name. "Where did you find this, Merlin? It must have cost a fortune!"

"You promised…"

"That's so no fair, Merlin! Well, why are you giving me this? You could buy food for a year with this…"

"Are you inferring that I'm poor and that I should eat more?" Morgana stuttered as never before "Nah, I'm joking…" He emended when the Princess seemed abashed by the joke. "It's a charmed necklace; it should help you with your visions. From here, they will only get harder."

"Where did you find someone in bloody Camelot able to make this sort of things?!"

"The no questions…"

"Damn… fine, you win, keep your damn secrets! Well, are you going to help me or what?"

"Right." When the clasp closed, Morgana felt a really warm presence surrounding her. It was amazing, she felt so light. "It might be a little strong, just sleep it off and it should fade off."

"Why in all heavens would I want for this sensation to fade off?" Oh bugger, Morgana was high on magic.

"The presence you feel is the Goddess Brigid…" He explained straightening the Triskelion.

"I will take this to my grave, Merlin; it's beautiful and smells great!"

"That was the idea."

"Thank you Merlin, you are an awesome friend."

"I'm doing this for my own selfish reasons, Morgana; but I'm glad to help. Have a good night, _My Lady."_ He bowed and turned in his heels.

"Good knight to you too, _My Lord."_ He turned his torso and smirked at the sobriquet, Morgana returned the gesture with her finger close to her red lips. She stopped smiling when Merlin left the room. Why would he say if he found out that she wasn't all joking when she called him "Lord"? She had seen Merlin countless times in her dreams having more power in one single finger than Uther in his primes. Sometimes she didn't know what to make out of Merlin.

79

Merlin decided that day he would be hiding in his bed until nightfall. He was actually pretty confident he would be able to pull it off. Gaius was away, Arthur was still in light duty and Leon and Lancelot were fussing over the Prince like the mother-hens they were. Morgana was peachy and even the King seemed high in spirit. Of course this peace would not last, but what were the odds of everything going to hell _right now?_

Merlin was dozing in his bed using a book he was pretending to read like pillow. He jumped high when somebody broke into his room and threw the door very hard.

"What the…?! Holy crap, Morgana, what are you doing?" The warlock looked at the witch startled.

"Merlin I need your help!" The seer was looking very _deranged, _by her tidiness standards.

"It's Arthur dying?" He asked returning his pillow/book.

"No!" Morgana answered jittering.

"Sick?" Merlin asked now looking at the ceiling.

"NO!" Now the Ward was appalled.

"Mortally wounded?"

"NO! Shut up Merlin! Arthur's ok!"

"Then call me tomorrow. I'm closed!"

"Are you telling me that you would leave and innocent boy die, because it's not Arthur?!" She spat at him, taking him by the collars. Merlin frowned.

"What are you talking about?" He decided to ask at last when Morgana wouldn't leave him alone.

"Look! He was talking to me in my head! He said they guards are searching for him." Merlin's pupil dilated so much, it hurt his eyes. His magic flared when he saw that cold blood murderer-to-be so close to him.

"Take that child immediately to the King, Morgana!" He needed to get rid of the psychopath-to-be, right now; but he refused to taint his hands with the blood of a child. His hands may be the dirtiest hands in the world, full of blood and the occasional black magic, but he had never killed an innocent, let alone a child. So he would let Uther to kill the only real threat to his son. Mordred was the first stab to Uther and Morgana's relationship.

"Are you out of your mind Merlin?! This child is a Druid! A child of magic!"

"THAT PSYCOPATH IS NOT SON OF MAGIC, MORGANA! DO YOU HEAR ME?!" Merlin was raging. Morgana was having trouble breathing because of the magical presence of a spitting mad, Emrys.

"_Gaius?" _Arthur asked getting into the room.

After Merlin heard the Prince, he threw the child into the closet; not particularly caring about the wounds he knew he had. They couldn't have Arthur seeing the child, but especially the others knights who wouldn't hesitate to accuse Merlin of harbouring a fugitive. When Arthur entered Merlin's room, everything was extremely cold and it was difficult to breath. Morgana and Merlin were clearly mad at each other at the moment and Arthur was really whishing he had picked another room to search.

"What do you want, Arthur?"

"We are searching for a druid child, have you seen him?" Morgana glared at Merlin promising him hell if he tried to insinuate something to the Prince.

"Arthur, you are in a middle of a fight with Morgana… you have three seconds before she decided you are in fault too and get dragged into this…" That would send Arthur running like hell.

"Let's go, quick! Run! Morgana's in a bad mood! I'm sorry I interrupted!" He didn't care to be called a coward when was about running away from Morgana's temper.

"Make the child disappear, I don't want to see his face again and try to recruit Gaius into this Morgana and I will take Mordred to the King myself."

"Mordred?"

"That is his namesake, _Mordred."_ He spat the name angrily.

"Please Merlin, I'm begging you; I don't understand why would you hate an innocent youngling as Mordred but you cannot leave him to the _tender _mercies of Uther! He would have him executed in no time."

"I don't care, go away and take the child with you and don't come back until you see reason."

80

Merlin followed the faint traces of Mordred's magic to find his father. He froze all the guards that crossed his path; they wouldn't remember him when he went out of the dungeons and if for some reason one of the knights arrived they would remember a bright red haired middle aged man with bright green eyes. He arrived to the cell where Mordred's father, Cerdan; if he remembered well from all of Mordred's bitching. The poor druid was ashen and shaken, when they sights crossed the Druid was the first to talk.

"Who are you? What else do you want from me? I don't know where the child is!" The man feared for his son, he wanted to cry until he knew his son was going to be ok.

"I am who your kindred refer as Emrys." The Warlock made the man know leaning on to the cell.

"You speak lies! You are no Emrys!"

"How are you so sure?"

"You have everything wrong!" Good, the man still was alive behind all the worry.

"I am a warlock you silly druid. Why wouldn't be able to change my face?" Merlin's eyes flashed momentarily to golden. "You have done nothing wrong, but your son… your son has born bearing the mark of murder."

"NO! My son is innocent! He is only a child! Please, sire! He still cries at night screaming for his mummy!"

"But you do _know_ of the prophecies… if you know of Emrys then you know the part Mordred will play, making my life hell."

"I'm begging you, Emrys! Do not hurt my son! I will take a magic oath that will ensure you that my child will never take that path, he shall never interfere with the Once and Future King. But he is the only thing I have left in my life since Uther killed my wife."

"_Onbregdan."_ Emrys conjured and the doors cell opened. "I will tell you this only once, Cerdan…" The man was really surprised that the Great Emrys knew his name. "The very first moment Mordred takes the dark path I will burst his heart and burn his body to ashes without a single drop of regret. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, High Priest Emrys." Merlin flicked the man's forehead with his finger and then resumed his way. The Druid eyes became grey and his hair very fair.

"What are you waiting for?"

"What?"

"Hurry up! We don't have all day!"

81

Gwen opened the door fearing it would be Arthur and his knights searching for the druid child Morgana was harbouring behind her curtains. It was very relieving to see Merlin's face. Gwen curved an eyebrow when she noticed the warlock was accompanied by a man of affable smile and really fair hair.

"My lady! It's Merlin!"

"What are you doing here, Merlin? Have you changed your mind and have come to take the child to Uther?" The Ward asked bitter, glaring at the Warlock.

"Do not lecture me, Morgana." Merlin didn't even flinch. "This man is Mordred's father, Cerdan." The warlock explained to the ward. Her eyes opened wide open.

"Lady Morgana, I am indebted to you for saving my son." The Druid, _Cerdan_; voiced at her very humble, doing a short bow.

"It-it's nothing; I am just doing what is right." She breathed relieved. Merlin was going to help them after all.

"Cauterize Mordred's wounds and get ready to go. I will grant you safe passage, until you reach the woods, then you are on your own. Do not worry; nobody will be able to detect the use of magic in this room. Go!" Cerdan ran to his wounded child and tried to wake him up.

"Mordred, _a stór!_ Please, open your eyes, my beloved son." When the youngling opened his eyes, feeling very tired; he heard his father chant: _"Leigheas le a fuil bhur cneá"_ Guinevere gasped when she saw the man preforming magic and Morgana took a hand to cover her maid mouth. It's hurt her to know that she would never be able to trust Gwen with her magic while Uther reign lived.

"What kind of stupid enchantment is that?" Morgana heard clearly that Merlin muttered under his breath. "Bugger! Arthur is coming! Hide! I'll get rid of him as fast as I can!"

"_Déjà vu…"_ Arthur told to himself when he saw Morgana and Merlin together but this time in Morgana's room. "Am~ I'm guessing you haven't seen the druid child in all this time we have been apart, have you, Morgana?"

"Why would I know where a druid child is, Arthur?" She lied like a pro.

"You do know that is against the law to be harbouring fugitives, don't you?"

"Are you accusing me of something, Pendragon?" She lifted her chin defiantly.

"I'm just saying." Morgana rolled her eyes.

"Well, why don't you do what you've come to do so you can leave or can't you sense your presence in this precise moment it's not very _welcomed?"_ The Princess sneered.

"Are you and Merlin still fighting?" He asked fearing the answer.

"What do you think?"

"Right… I'll just do a quick search and get out of your hair…" He turned to his knights. "Wait here; I will be the only one searching this room." The knights saluted their Prince and waited politely outside. Morgana was praying that Arthur went away _quickly. _Gwen and Morgana's breath hitched when Arthur got close to the curtain.

"_Dōn hīe ósýnilegur" _Merlin conjured and Cerdan went very still when he felt Emrys magic prickling on his skin. Arthur opened the curtains, it was _empty._ Gwen wanted to shriek again before the blatant display of magic so close to the King, but Morgana didn't allow it.

"Are you going to last here much longer? Or maybe you would want to look in my chamber pot?" Merlin snorted, go you, Morgana!

"I'm just following orders, Morgana…"

"You are committing an injustice!"

"And what do you want me to do!?"

"Grow some balls and stand-up do for what you believe!"

"Morgana…" Merlin warned, taking the Seer away from Arthur; before she threw herself at the Prince to scratch him at least.

"Stop fucking defending him so much Merlin!" The brunette couldn't believe the measures Merlin were ready to butt in for Arthur.

"I have this, don't worry…" He said to Arthur, wincing.

"Yeah, thanks mate…"

"Right…"

"Why do you mollycoddle him SO MUCH?!" Morgana was outrageous.

"You have to understand that Arthur, contrary to the popular believe, is _just _the _Prince._ If one day he finds himself on Uther's bad side he will burn and I'm not going stand and let that happen on my watch. Cerdan, take Mordred, we have to go, _now._" The druid just nodded meekly and tried to do everything that Emrys tells him without taking too long.

82

"Bugger I knew you were the ones doing this clusterfuck!" Not even Morgana could have foreseen _this_. Merlin snorted, they had had to wait until nightfall because the bells sounded warning that a prisoner had escaped. How the prat had done to cloak his presence from him _that_ was a question for another time. He simply took a sip of his glass and he got ready to enjoy the show.

"Arthur!"

"Your Highness!" Yelled Gwen strangled. Morgana and Gwen looked at Merlin.

"I can smell Arthur inside the castle that is _how _I know when he is getting close… try to do that in the open wide… I _dare _you…" He elucidated to the women, they would not blame this on him.

"Morgana, may I ask what made you think that harbouring fugitives was a good idea? HOW the hell did you got the druid out of prison!? Was the druid in your room when I searched it?!" Arthur was mad but mostly he was _hurt_, which Morgana would not see.

"Arthur stop playing pretend, there is no-one here to hear you learned speech to please your father. If you are going to arrest us, then do it; if not, can we get on our way? I want to sleep… _while the moon is in the sky. _I'll make the honours, Arthur: meet Mordred and Cerdan. Cerdan, his Royal Highness, Prince Arthur Pendragon. Now, move…"

83

When they arrived, more druids were awaiting for them.

"We will always be in your debt, people."

"Nobody must ever find out that I'm mixed in this." Arthur was having an existential crisis.

"No one will ever find out from us, what you did tonight, Young Pendragon."

"Is the kid going to be ok?"

"He will be fine. Mordred is resilient. We want you to thank you, Em-Merlin; you are a good man. You put your feelings aside and helped in the end."

"Kilgharrah may or may not have my head for this later on…" He confessed irritated. The druid laughed kindly.

"We would take that blame for you. Use us as you see fit."

"Right…" Blame the druids was never, _ever _going to convince the Great Dragon.

"Lady Morgana, if you ever feel in need of _something,_ you can come to us. I'm pretty sure that you'll know how to find us or ask your good friend Em-Merlin, he'll know what to do."

"Thank you; I really appreciate your kind words." The Seer replied, understanding what he was saying, humbling her. _They _were offering to teach her _magic._

"Your future had changed quite a lot, since recent times Guinevere." Everyone but Merlin got surprised that the Druids new about a simple maid, albeit Morgana's one. "We have nothing that would help you or be of interest to you, but we are very thankful that you put your prejudices aside and helped the Lady Morgana out."

"I-I…" Gwen hid her face in her right hand blushing furiously.

"I bid you all my farewells and wish you good luck in the journey that has just begun."

_Don't you ever dare to forget your oath, Cerdan. Mordred slips just once and I will be there … hunting him like a hawk to his prey. _

Merlin forewarned Cerdan telepathically, they held their sights for what it seemed an eternal moment and then the druids disappeared into the night.

"Not bad… we all have our heads on our necks. I'll count that as a win. Morgana, you bring another shit like this tomorrow and I will never _ever _speak to you again… good night Lords and Ladies and Maids…" He moved a feet and then Arthur broke like really fine crystal.

"Oh Gods… I am a criminal, if my father finds out about this…"

"Hush, my Prince. We love you, criminal or not…" Merlin took Arthur's head and pulled it to his shoulder kissing the Prince's top of his head. Morgana and Gwen giggled and Arthur pulled away from Merlin, glaring at the Warlock; very red on the face.

**TBC**


	9. The Wraith of Tristan Dubois

**Chapter IX: **The Wraith of Tristan Dubois

_**Short Chapter is short…**_

_**A/N:**__ Because I know these reviews are coming my way. This is __**not**__ under any circumstances a __**Morgana/Merlin **__shipping story. They are friends? Yes. Really good ones, sure thing… especially now that Morgana will be really proactive in protecting Arthur, Merlin and she interact a hell lot. So, if you begin to feel that Morgana and Merlin are getting too chummy, don't get your knickers in a twist. This is not a Morgana/Merlin shipping story._

84

"I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service and to the protection of the kingdom and its people."

"Now being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot."

Merlin clapped politely when the King crowned Arthur, Crown Prince of Camelot.

"I don't think I can be the servant of the Crown Prince." Alvin was hyperventilating.

"Take a deep breath, Alvin. You are going to be fine… it's just the same Prat with a bigger crown, you can take my word for it."

"Arthur's crown Prince. Oh my god, somebody helps us." Morgana mock-trembled at the thought; stopping gradually the clapping; along with everyone else in the room.

"You know you both are proud of him." Guinevere tried to make them confess. After all it was a big day for Arthur. He needed all the support he could get from his best friend and his sister.

"Oh~ I'm proud, I'm proud of the fact that he had managed to not drag me into any life threatening situation for about a week." Which when Arthur was concerned, was a new whole record.

"Amen to that, Merlin." Gwen rolled her eyes. They weren't fooling anyone, they both had proud grins on their faces and Merlin's eyes were glimmering.

"Breathe, Alvin." Merlin reminded the poor, freaked out servant; patting him on the shoulder.

A Black Knight appeared through the window, breaking it in million pieces.

"_Beorgan æghwa ymbe." _Merlin bespelled the room, so no shrapnel could cause harm, while all the knights of Camelot drew their swords, readying themselves to fight; if need it. Without any words, Tristan Dubois; deceased brother of Igrane, threw his gauntlet to the floor, issuing a challenge. "Lancelot, you take that gauntlet; I will personally ensure you won't live pass this night." Emrys threatened the knight, letting his magical presence bleed a little. The tanned man gulped and decided against. "Damn, I actually like Sir Owain…" Lancelot heard Merlin muttered, when said knight accepted the duel.

85

Seer and Warlock had an agreement of sorts: she would keep Arthur off his back when he was particularly annoying and he would embroider something for her, when he wasn't too busy. He stabbed the fabric with the needle; Arthur was getting on his nerves.

"Enough!" The royal children of Camelot actually shut up. "Now that I got your attention, _yes,_ Owain is going to die tomorrow, _no;_ there is nothing_ you_ or_ anyone _can do about it. If you are planning on keep fighting about the inevitable, I shall say my good nights and go away… bugger people, you are getting a little _bit _intense." And with those words he left the brothers with their (figuratively) mouth hanging.

86

"Fuck, I am going to be forced to create Excalibur." Merlin mumbled numb hiding his face in his hands. Sir Pellinor and Sir Owain were both death and the stupid prat had ensued a challenge. He bit his lips until he felt the blood touch his tongue. He bounced exalted when Morgana got into his room and puked at his bed's feet. "What the…! Morgana are you ok?"

"This was so strong. The necklace you gave to me, worked like a charm; except this night Merlin, I have seen Arthur die a horrible and painful death. Please, don't let me alone tonight, I'm begging you!"

"I don't think anyone of us it's going to get any sleep tonight. Morgana, I know that I normally take liberties that I probably shouldn't, but the King is going to geld and torture me until there is nothing of my soul left and then burn me at the pyre if he found out you are sleeping here."

"Please, Merlin. Just hold me for a little while, I promise you to get you out of trouble if for some really twisted, bad luck; Uther decides to come to the court Physician in early morning. Your bed it's really soft." Oops… that bed wasn't meant for anybody to lie on but him.

"I need to clean the vomit in the floor before it become too difficult."

"Don't you know any spells I could use? It's the least I could do, given that I was the one who vomited on your floor."

"What?"

"Don't think me stupid, Merlin. You have to know some spells; you are the more knowledgeable person I know about magic, discounting Gaius." Merlin pinched his nose bridge.

"I am not going to teach you _magic_, Morgana."

"Why not?"

"Because you are Uther's daughter, _remember? _The _genocide-y _King?"

"But you _do_ know some spells?"

"Good one, Morgana. Try again." Merlin mopped the floor and when everything was clean again, he put everything in its proper place and sat on his bed, which was currently occupied. Morgana pushed herself up, cradling her very upset stomach.

"What are we going to do?" Ah… therein laid the question.

"Well, the only way to kill Tristan Dubois…"

"Who? Tristan Dubois, you say? Queen Igrane's brother?"

"Yeah, the very same… as I was saying, you need a sword bathed in dragon breath or some bones of the corpse pulverized and pushed into the cup of life which nowadays belongs to Nimueh and she's the bitch who rose the wraith in the first place…"

"Why don't I see these things in my dreams?" She complained with dignity.

"Good question, the next Seer I meet I shall ask her for you." Morgana curled on Merlin's side.

"What exactly I am going to do if Arthur dies? Oh Gods, the succession! Who would be the monarch of Camelot when the King isn't even married?" Merlin's face betrayed him and Morgana could see for a moment that he knew who would inherit the crown, should Arthur perish. "Fuck, you know? How the hell do you know _that?_"

"I have a really screwed luck of being in the_ worst_ place at the _worst_ time possible… do you mind if I keep the succession line as a secret for now? I promise to tell you if Arthur dies tomorrow in the afternoon."

"What are we going to do…?"

"You leave _that_ to me."

"_Why?_"

"Well, because if I can't reach what I want in time, you will have to make _time _with an enchantment that will halt the Black Knight for short periods of time, which should give Arthur openings to emulate something alike to a fair match."

"So you are going to teach me, _magic?"_

"Noup."

"_Right._" She decided to humour the warlock. "Can I sleep here?"

"Well, what the hell? We will be pretty much dead tomorrow night if Arthur dies, anyway." Merlin nonchalant attitude in the face of death disturbed her very much.

87

"_I need you to lend me your powers…" _

_Good Morning, Merlin. _

"_Sorry, Good Morning Kilgharrah. Arthur is about to be murdered by his own uncle; because of your friend Nimueh… so, how's life?"_

_Merlin, I need you to understand… to get through that thick skull of yours that only a Dragonlord can do what you are asking me to, you are lucky my sight didn't blind you forevermore. _

"_Well, what about a policy where I accept all the responsibilities, so if I die; you will be exempt all guilt?"_

_You mustn't die… you stubborn warlock. What do you want to do with my powers that yours couldn't do better, anyway? _

"_Ergh… I may be in need to defeat a wraith?" _

_You need to defeat the wraith of Tristan Dubois? _Merlin sulked. _You are not planning on creating a sword bathed in my breath, aren't you?_

"_I swear to you that only Arthur will use it _after _he is King and I shall keep it close to my heart until that day comes and should one day Arthur abuse of its powers, I will bury it deep and only _I_ will be able to use, in extremes times of need." _

_You are playing a dangerous game, Emrys. _

"_Tell me about it, I am not amused to being forced to create Excalibur; especially if we are unlucky enough for crazy-Mordred to take a hold of that sword… I better not think about that right now."_ Too late… it was not really working, now he was worrying needlessly about Mordred obsessing over Excalibur _again._

_I will create your sword. We cannot have you dying or worst: burning your oesophagus, trying to inexpertly to breathe the fire… not even Balinor can breathe fire for more than sixty seconds._

"_Really?" _Merlin asked too eager. Kilgharrah never spoke of his father and the curiosity always remained with him.

_Yes? _

"_Right." _The warlock cleared his mental throat. _"I'll bring the sword, if that's amenable to you?" _

_As you wish, Young Warlock. _

88

"I have found your sword." Morgana told him.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I asked Gwen for her father's best work. The sword is amazing… I have never seen a sword like this before. He really has a talent. Am~ I know I will get the 'ask me no questions and I shall tell you no lies.' But where exactly are you planning to find _Dragon Breath?_ Or is _Dragon Breath_ a euphemism for something else?"

"Noup, it's literal for _'a dragon that breathes fire at a sword.'_ It's like your necklace, but not." Because that wasn't confusing at all…

"From where _exactly_ are you going to pull a Dragon? There is no Dragon left in Camelot. Are you planning to travel half of the world to find a Dragon?"

"One day Morgana, we are going to sit down and talk about everything that we cannot right now… Go and halt the monster as much as you can. Say to Uther you want to sit with Guinevere and Lancelot; do not perform any magic in the Royal box. I'll be with you as fast as I can. Tell Arthur to try to sever the limbs and throw them out of the wraith's reach, they could reattach." The seer grimaced with disgust. _"I know. _Good luck, Morgana."

89

In the end it was Uther whom used Excalibur, but Merlin was able to recover the sword without much trouble (he was confident Kilgharrah didn't know the magic killer King had used the sword). Now, the only trouble he had to sort out was… _the horror:_ a sulking Arthur.

"You were going to die, if you fought Arthur. Your father does not consider you _weak_. You are his only son, for him you are his most valued possession. Hell! You are for all intents and purposes are Camelot's most valued possession."

"Go away and leave me alone, Merlin."

"You prove your worth every day… what is it with you knights that nothing is never enough?"

"Who was that black knight, Merlin? And the Gods help me if you lie to me…"

"Ask me no question and I shall tell you no lies." He was ascribing to that policy until the day he needn't hide anymore.

"What?" Arthur drawled. "You think I can't handle the truth?"

"Some trusts are better to stay buried deep forever, Arthur."

"Why can't I be the judge of that?"

"Why are you asking me and not your father?" Merlin's arguments were always so round that he could never find any loopholes to fight the warlock off. "Good night, Sire."

**TBC**


	10. William's soul

**Chapter X:** William's soul.

90

Arthur didn't sleep that night, either; he waited tossing and turning on his bed, trying to figure out why his father didn't let him face the Black Knight, who the Black Knight was and why Merlin of all people would not tell him anything. When his manservant whose name rhymed with _Merlin _got into the room to get him on his feet to begin the day arrived, he remembered that Morgana might know all the answers he was searching for. It was worth the shot.

"Go-good morning, Your Royal Highness."

"_Good Morning, you-who-are-no-Merlin." _Arthur thought bitter. The Merlin business still was like sting in his mind, who Merlin thought he was to _deny _the Crown Prince of Camelot? Not only that, _no;_ he also had the nerve to let him with this _wimp_ that would normally cry and run to the same _idiot _to rattle him out. "Good Morning~"

"Alvin…" The servant offered resigned; in Arthur head the sound of the servant's name was muffled.

"Right, _Melvyn."_

"Yes Your Highness." The servant would take Sir Lancelot's word and pretend the Prince had a very good (in his mind) reason for not get his name right, besides… if he wasn't the Crown Prince's servant he would have never get close enough to his hero, Sir Lancelot or get to talk so often with Merlin whom was who he wanted to be when he grew up. "Aren't you going to have your breakfast, your highness?" The servant asked Arthur meekly after he was ready.

"No, I shall be eating with the Lady Morgana this morning, go to the kitchens and pretend to be useful… come back to me at middle day to get me ready for the drill with the knights."

"Yes Your Highness." With a respectful bow he turned back and went away.

91

Morgana was dressed lightly but she was out of her night gown, Gwen was already there getting everything ready for breakfast when he got in to the room.

"Well, this is most certainty a surprise. What can this lowly woman do for the Crown Prince of Camelot today?"

"You, Morgana; pass too much time around Merlin." Morgana just smirked; it was not intended as a compliment. Obviously the two brunets would consider that as such.

"Have you even had breakfast yet, Arthur?"

"No."

"Then take a seat. Gwen, would you be so kind and put another dish for our Crown Prince here?"

"It would be a pleasure, My Lady." She smiled at the Seer, kindly.

"Speak your pace, Arthur… what is lurking in that mind of yours?" Morgana went straight to the point, as always; putting her embroidered napkin in her lap.

"Who was the Black Knight, Morgana?" The piercing green eyes of his sister looked at him.

"It was a wraith… I'm pretty sure Merlin explained to you what it was at some point."

"I'm not asking you 'what' it was, Morgana… I'm asking who…" The ward arched an eyebrow. "Are you being purposely dense, Morgana?" Gwen wanted to shrink and be a microbe.

"What is really all this about, Arthur? Gwen, don't you dare to go, you stay right where you are. Is this because you are sulking, because Uther drugged you so you _wouldn't _die?"

"Why all of you are so sure that I was going to die! My father beat him, didn't he?!" _Yes… _Morgana thought, _Uther beat him with a_ magical _sword made with _magical_ dragon breath, or we would be crowning _you_ King, right now. _Not that she was going to voice her thoughts out loud.

"You were _going _to die Arthur! You were going to die the same way Sophia _killed _you before Merlin miraculously brought you back to life, I was there; you were _not breathing. _Why can't you just let it go?!"

"Have you and Merlin been practicing the SAME FUCKING SPEECH, MORGANA?!"

"It-it was the-the wraith of Tristan Du-Dubois, _My Lord." _Gwen, sweet Gwen was the one confessing him after all.

"Tristan Dubois? My mother's brother?" Morgana looked at Gwen full with reproach.

"I will take any punishment you deem fit for my disobedience, My Lady…" The maid accepted humbly, after Arthur strolled out of the room; having another existential crisis.

"Don't be stupid, Gwen." The maid flinched because of his Lady's harsh tone. "But don't dare to think you know Arthur better than myself. I wasn't doing this to hurt him _or _to get one ahead of our petty bickering; I was doing this to protect him from an unnecessary crisis." Morgana was never the one to think servants were below her; but in moments like this she could comprehend Uther _perfectly. _She cleaned her lips with the napkin and stood up from the chair regally, she needed to warn Merlin, so he could do some damage control; she would only make the situation worse, so she needed to bring in the big _guns._

92

"How is Arthur?" Morgana asked Merlin a few days later while walking the castle halls.

"Well, he took it better than I had expected… I'm somewhat relieved that Arthur knows, actually… except for the part where he was stupid enough to confront the truth with his father and now he is being a _monster,_ of course." The warlock opened his mouth to say something else, when a presence in the castle made him stop. Somebody with faints traces of his magic and his father's was in the castle, and who could that person be if not his mother? "Morgana, we will talk later, I need to do something, _urgently_. I'm sorry… see you later." And with that he threw himself to stairs and followed his mother's presence.

93

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Merlin asked stopping her quick walking.

"Merlin! Oh my sweet Merlin…" The warlock cleared his throat when his mother threw at him and hugged the lights off him. He just prayed that nobody would see this or no one would let him live this one down, _ever._

"Mother, I'm glad to see you too, but… Oh My God! What happened to you?" The idiot that dared to touch his mother was a _dead man walking._

"I need to speak with the King, Merlin."

"What? No, no, no, no, no…" Merlin spoke in a run-up. "You don't need to speak with the King… speak with the King is a very much _bad _idea. You need to come with me so we can clean your wounds and…"

"Please, honey… I need to speak with the King! Bandits, Merlin!" Ah~ wasn't that the time when Will _died?_ He grimaced, feeling bleak inside; he always tried to think a little as possible about how he lost his best friend ever _to _Arthur and that he took the blame for his magic. "Bandits are attacking our village and Cenred doesn't care!" Good blessed his mother's ingenuity.

"Yes, well, you think Cenred is a _bad _King? You have yet to presence Uther's _despotism _and _apathy _with his subjects, he just will tell you, Ealdor it's not his responsibility and that he doesn't have the time to call any forces to protect a wasteland like Ealdor. Listen to me, mother, _please._" He begged and with that look, Hunith relented; allowing his son to take her to his room.

94

The door of the Court Physician's room was knocked three times and then a brunet head appeared.

"Merlin… oh… sorry, I didn't know you were with a patient, I can come back later."

"Nah, you are always welcome here, Morgana." He made him know and returning his head to his mother's wound. "She is my mother, Hunith."

"Gods! What happened to her?" The Princess cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, I'm Morgana Lefay… I'm Merlin's friend."

"It's pleasure to meet you, Lady Morgana…" Hunith greeted the Seer, with a warm smiled in her pleasing face. "I'm Hunith, I'm Merlin's Mother."

"Same here, Mrs Hunith."

"Just Hunith, My Lady. I feel old when people call me Mrs"

"Of course, Hunith, please, call me Morgana."

"There is tea in the kettle, Morgana; if you want."

"Chamomile?"

"And dark leaves." Merlin interjected.

"Nothing better for frayed nerves and an upset stomach." Merlin winked at Morgana whom smirked.

When Morgana was taking her second cup, Leon and Lancelot appeared at his door.

"Merlin! Please! Have mercy and _hide us!" _Lancelot begged distressed. Leon had the same face but didn't say a word.

"That bad, _huh…"_ Morgana snorted, calling the attention of the knights.

"Lady Morgana." Leon greeted, frazzled.

"I'm not going to have thirteen or more knights in the room, am I?"

"Well, we all scattered when _The Menace_ appeared. I just dragged Leon here, because he just looked like a deer caught by the hunters!" Leon was feeling like go and sulk in a corner.

"I see… you can stay here and escape from my window if needed."

"Merlin, we don't deserve you…" Leon said in the brink of tears. Hunith was very surprised. Merlin was friends, _good _friends with knights and princesses; she didn't know if that was good or bad.

"It's ok, after all; it is partially my fault that _His Royal Menace _is being a _Monster."_ Merlin admitted shrugging.

"I'll help too… it was also my fault."

"Actually, it was _Guinevere's _fault." The Warlock emended, finding the poultice he was going to use on his mother.

"Right… we are going to help, anyway…" Morgana reassured the poor abused knights.

Somebody knocked the door again and the knights who were just beginning to calm down, despaired again. Merlin stopped to tend his mother and opened the door. For the knocking and the lack of blurting into the room without waiting for an answer it was a servant outside the door.

"Alvin?" The servant was crying, hipping and dripping. "What is it?"

"His Royal Highness is being horrible, Merlin… _snif, snif_. He accused me of being a good for nothing and called me _Aldo." _Emrys had to do his best to understand the wails of the poor servant.

"Right, another victim of Arthur's temper tantrum… come in, let me get you a cup of tea and make more tea so we can get Leon to calm down a little."

"Aldo? That's a new one…" Lance mumbled, frowning. "Are you really ok, Alvin?" The sobbing servant nodded.

"That's very kind of you sir Lancelot, to worry about me."

"Can't you do something?" The future first knight asked Merlin meekly.

"And take that _burn? _I don't think so. I love you guys and I will grant you refuge when you need it, but that's about everything I can do."

95

"Well, you are as good as new; just don't force yourself to much."

"Sweet Mother, we didn't even pay attention that you were with a patient. I'm very sorry, ma'am." Leon said very mortified.

"Oh, I didn't introduce you. Lancelot, Leon, Alvin… she is the person I love the most in this world."

"Isn't she a bit old for you? No that you are old, Mrs… It's just that, well, Merlin is just a _kid._" Merlin hit Lance with a stick he had in his hand to shut him up. He was getting Gwen's anxious speech.

"She is my mother, you idiot!"

"OH MY GOD! Me and my mouth." He hit his forehead. "I am so very, _very_ sorry?"

"MERLIN! I KNOW YOU ARE HARBORING MY ESCAPEES KNIGHTS! GIVE THEM BACK!" Everyone jumped when Arthur entered the room in fury.

"As usual Arthur, I don't know what are you talking about." He made him now, as calmed and restrained as possible that only made Arthur angrier. "Please, this is a room of healing; you are going to upset it…"

"_You._ I knew I would find you here!" Leon shrieked and Lance gasped when the Prince found them trying to get out by the window.

"Throw me, Leon, throw me! I'll live!"

96

Morgana smirked when she saw Merlin having a tic in his lower lid. Arthur had picked a wooden stick and was chasing the knights all around the room while Alvin cried distressed and scared.

"ENOUGH! GET OUT! ALL OF YOU!" He threw them out of the room and if he used magic to do so, he didn't care. "I can't believe this! How old are they, _five?" _Merlin was fuming.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Arthur will have more room to _chase _his knight with a _wooden stick_. I just hope this incident doesn't get to Uther's ears." Morgana cleared her throat regally.

"Unlikely, Uther is so mad at Arthur that he doesn't even want his name pronounced around him."

"I have never seen Uther so mad at Arthur, before."

"Oh, you just wait Morgana; you have seen nothing of Uther's _madness, _just yet." The Warlock prophesized with his face blank.

"I'll take your word for it. I will go now. It was a real pleasure to meet you, Hunith. Anything you need, just tell me… until later, Merlin." The Ward curtsied and left the room.

"When I finish with my mother, I'll see to sooth Arthur before there is not knight left."

"You do that, Merlin. I always live hoping you had the same gift with Uther."

"_Morgana."_

97

Merlin put his mother to bed, enchanting the poor battered woman with a spell that would allow her to sleep if the body needed it, which, obviously _did. _He just took a seat in a corner of the bed and caressed his mother's face. He put his hands in his lap and closed his eyes trying to find the less catastrophic solution to this issue. He didn't find any plausible solution and passed all his night tossing and turning in a makeshift bed, vigilant that his mother condition wouldn't worsen through the night.

98

When he woke up, he stretched disoriented, he yawned and decided that he needed a few hours more of undisturbed sleep, after passing all night wracking his head with no avail; but before that he turned to see his bed, which was currently _empty. _Hi sighed frustrated and ran to save his mother from the humiliation of talking with the king.

He found his mother exactly the same time when the King was spitting to his mother's face that he didn't give a damn about Ealdor, he took his mother from her arms, ignoring Arthur and apologizing in a very hypocrite way he take her away.

"Mother, what were you thinking?" Merlin did his best to not hiss.

"I… he said exactly what you said…"

"I know… I'm sorry." He apologized not knowing what else to do.

99

"What I'm going to do, Merlin? Did I come all this way for nothing?"

"I can come and scare them…" Hunith face was stricken with panic. "I wouldn't be looking like me!" He defended himself. "I can change my appearance, you know? Easy-peasy… I would go there and tell them that Ealdor it's protected by a sorcerer (namely me) and believe me those men are nothing but cowards."

"Too dangerous, Merlin; if this incident reaches the King's ear…"

"It's none of his business, Ealdor are not his lands; he said so himself or… I could kill them all… that would warn everyone to _never_ come back." Merlin offered with his eyes flashing gold and a mad cackle on his lips.

"Merlin… I have taught you _nothing? Kill them? _Are if they were nothing but cattle?_" _His mother heart was too big, sometimes it made him feel like horrible person… especially nowadays…

"So what? They are murderers, rapists and thieves… it's not like anybody will miss them. Mother…" He pleaded softly, taking one of her hands and taking his left to her temple. "You cannot fight this type of violence, giving the other cheek. They will never let you live."

"I cannot let you become a murderer for my sake, or anybody's, my dear son." Hunith hugged his only son, born of her eternal love for Balinor, whom always was present in her mind, wondering every day if the King had reached the last of the Dragonlord yet.

Merlin kept silence like the wise man he knew he was. Kill bandits? Not a very high sin at his eyes.

100

"I will be returning home, Merlin…"

"Then let me come with you." He put two fingers in her lips to halt her litany. "If you will not let me protect the village where I was born, at least let me protect you and you alone. I will return to Camelot, I give you my word; I know you think _this_ is the place where I belong, but you can't really know…"

Morgana and Gwen were hiding, spying Merlin; growing more concerned by the minute. The women looked each other.

"Should we call Arthur?"

"What can Arthur do? You have seen how useless he is in these situations."

"I will be fine, Merlin… until next time, my little wizard." She whispered softly in his ear. Merlin felt impotency burning in his chest.

101

"What are you doing, Merlin?" Gaius inquired when he arrived to the Court Physician's room; he had spoken with Hunith for a while before she went away and she had asked to watch for her little son. He had the feeling he wasn't doing a very good job at it.

"I'm going to do what nobody wants to. But that's ok… I'm used to it…"

"And that is…?"

"I have ascribed to a new policy, Gaius: Ask me no questions and I shall tell you no lies." The Sorcerer told his mentor deadpanned. "I will return after I have sorted this thing out. I would ask you for luck, but never mind…"

102

Merlin called for Nightingale (that was how he had named his mare in the past timeline) and in no time the regal beast appeared in front of him. He greeted her, patting her face and speaking to her in the draconic language. She neighed and huffed and Merlin just nodded, having a very clear idea what she was telling him. When he started to mount the mare: Morgana, Gwen and _Lancelot_ appeared with their own horses. He cursed every god he knew up to that moment.

"Do I have to ask?" He decided to say, resigned.

"I know what you are going to do, Merlin." Morgana spoke gloomy. "I'm not here to judge you, but to ensure that those bastards get what they deserve."

"I know My Lady too well, so I asked Lance to accompany us." Meaning: we kidnapped the knight, probably not against his will, but kidnaped him nonetheless "He had some leave on… he said yes, he didn't even let me finish when he heard it was for you."

"I don't need to say other word." Was the only thing Lancelot said, but he understood; it wasn't his intention when he made Lancelot knighting happened, but he knew that Lancelot would follow him to the end of the Earth.

"Do you know that I am going to break like three laws or more, don't you?"

"You have broken the laws for us before this Merlin. Don't be stubborn and let us help you, I for once I'm not scared to get my hands dirty if I can get rid of this vermin who attack people who cannot defend themselves and you know _I will do it_."

"Fine, you don't need to hogtie me. You need to disguise yourself as a man, Morgana; the King will search for you and I would rather no to have to do anything to knights…"

103

"How long until Ealdor?" Gwen asked for curiosity's sake.

"Not much longer." Merlin replied. Morgana and Lancelot were looking out for bandits or knights. The former was dressed with one set of his clothes and boy if Morgana couldn't pull the man acting up. She had her black boots and between Gwen and herself had picked up her very long hair so it would seem she had it very short. "You are enjoying this a little bit too much, Morgana -call me Morgan- Lefay." The ward only smiled very lewdly at him. Merlin snorted, shaking his head and stroking the fire.

"Don't be a spoilsport, _Mer_lin." That made everyone laugh. Horses heard and every one pulled their swords (staff) and get in offensive position.

Merlin rolled his eyes when he saw the stallion of bloody Arthur Pendragon, too much for being able to fight fucking destiny. What the fucking prat was doing there anyway? He was really sure that Morgana gave the King a very plausible excuse for this travel; they ended dressing her up because one could never be too careful.

"There is nothing in this world that would let me convince you to return to Camelot, isn't there?"

"You know us _so _well, Arthur." Merlin snorted amused.

"You told the King, _my Father; _your _Guardian_ that you were going to some thermals and there I was thinking: Father, how can you be SO blind…? So I ran after you and where do I _find_ you? Plotting with _Merlin, _dressed like a man with one of my knights in the middle of nowhere!"

"Well, it is certainly not my fault that the King is so short of _sight _to believe that I would be so shallow to travel on a whim to some _thermals…"_ Arthur was a nothing of popping a blood vessel.

"Why are you all here?" _'And why in all heavens didn't you have the decency of telling me?'_ Merlin clearly heard in his mind what Arthur left out.

"Well, you have two choices here: You can drag Morgana by her hair back to Camelot which will cost your balls or join the party…" Merlin proposed smiled friendly. Arthur lower lid was trembling, really visible.

"Is this about what that woman told my father? Why in hell would you care for this _woman_ so _bad?"_ That hurt Merlin more that he would even imagined. Really, could Arthur be so blind that if he didn't tell the bastard she was his mother he would never think there could be a close relation?

"If you have not realized that for yourself, then you are more than a Prat than I thought." And with that, Merlin strolled offended, _really _offended.

"Why all you looking at me like that?" The Future King barked annoyed. Only Merlin could make him jump from one feeling to another in a whiplash.

"Um~ My Prince?"

"Yes, you traitor? How dare you to run with _my sister_ and _her maid _like this?" Lancelot cleared his throat.

"He is actually very much kidnapped, my Lord." Guinevere murmured, squirming. Arthur put his best sceptical face and the he hit his forehead with his palm.

"You were saying, _Lancelot_?" He decided to ignore that fact that Morgana and Gwen had managed to kidnap one of his best knights or the fact that said night was enjoying his kidnapping a little bit too much.

"Shut up, Lancelot. If he is that blind, then he doesn't deserve to know." Of course Morgana would do something like that, the _witch._

"Yes, my Lady…"

"I am the Crown Prince of Camelot!"

"Too bad he is right now serving this Master." She told him very smug knowing he was going to pull the 'I'm your master' card. She stood up and went to see how Merlin was.

104

"Will, pst~! Will! Wake up!"

"Merlin? _Merlin?_ Holy shit Merlin, what the hell are you doing here? I thought you were in Camelot mingling with the _fucking _court."

"Hush, Will. Don't be crude…" Merlin scolded his childhood friend. William of course just snorted.

"What are you, _my mother?"_

"I believe your mother would already be chasing you with a wooden stick." Will looked at the _delegation_ that was following his best friend. Merlin looked behind. "These are my friends: Morgana, Gwen, Lancelot and… ignore the sulking prat." Now it was Morgana's time to snort.

"Why are you and your _friends_ here?"

"Don't be petty Will." The boy just rolled his eyes. "We are here to take care of the bandits."

"I heard from my mother. What a fucking prick the King is…" Arthur flinched. Lancelot and Gwen looked at him with sympathy.

"Yeah, let's not get ourselves hanged, eh? My mother kind of told me to fuck off and don't come back here…" He told in confidence.

"Right, because is SO Hunith to tell somebody to 'fuck off'." William laughed merrily, understanding.

"Well, the point is, we need to stay at your place."

"Why not yours?"

"Well, we are going to help… nobody is going to know _it, _though."

"Great! More felonies! If I keep this much longer I will have broken every single rule in Camelot…"

"You didn't need to follow us here, _Prat_." The Warlock spat impatient to the Once and Future King.

105

Their incognito mission didn't stay "incognito" for long; in fact… everything became a clusterfuck so fast Merlin's head was still reeling. They tried the diplomatic way with the bandits and in a blink; everything was a war in a miniature scale. Sticks, racks, fire; swords were flying and impacting every place you looked at.

Merlin was certainly that his "mother" (the magical one) and fate (kinda his aunt) hated him so much that they just wanted him _broken, _or maybe it was just he being broken was easier to manipulate. He just turned around and killed one of the bandits, mercilessly when he saw, what he had seen before. Will was throwing Arthur out of the way and an arrow pierced his body.

Emrys magic flared out of control.

106

Arthur didn't know what was happening. Merlin's childhood friend, the same friend that had made his life miserable for the last few days and that only got worse after he found out he was a Prince and not any prince, but Uther's son, whom everyone seemed to hate; threw him out of balance, when he tried to reproach his irresponsibility; he saw that an arrow had pierced the boy. Everything became even more confusing when thunder and lightning descended and the clouds gathered upon their heads with furious rain prickling their skin.

All the bandits were dead, _killed_ more likely. The lightning struck with certitude and fire consumed all the bodies, it was unnerving to see… those poor bastard couldn't do anything to fight it, it was almost like the work of sorcery, but that place was too close of Camelot for sorcery not to be frown upon.

Merlin was crying and running, he immediately knelt and broke the arrow making William scream deep in pain, he was babbling and promising that everything was going to be alright; he really was not making much sense. William surprised Arthur when he told Merlin not to be such a girl. Did he sound like _that _every time he told Merlin that? So _sap_…? Lancelot and Morgana joined merlin to try to help the boy, Arthur was feeling helpless; he was really not much help in these situations, he was not used to being useless. He was the future King, for fuck's sake!

It seemed as if Merlin was able to feel William's soul abandoning his body, which was stupid because nobody could do that. Because he pulled the body with strength that no person of his build could have and ran to a house. He then felt his brain tugging at him to run and stop Merlin, but when he arrived along with Lancelot and Morgana and Gwen the door was closed shut, impossible shut; not even kicking it could open it. The door seemed really feeble at first sight.

107

The Dragon was abruptly pulled out from his sleep when he felt something cold and dreary run through his body and take a grip of his old bones. He gasped as he had not done in centuries… roaming his cell, he saw a ghostly creature; a reaper announcing death.

In his mind, Merlin's involuntary connection; began to falter.

108

"Merlin! My son! Please! Let us in! I _beg _you Merlin, don't do anything stupid!" Arthur looked at the woman whom he had seen in his father's court. She was Merlin's _mother? _

"She is Merlin's _mother?"_ He couldn't believe that nobody deigned to tell him that_ insignificant _detail. What was wrong with _them? _Did they really think him so cold of heart that if they explained that Merlin's mother came to them for help he would not _do _something? He would have tried harder to convince his father to help the woman whom was the mother of the person whom had saved his life countless time! Hell, if the King himself would have known that the brunet woman was Merlin's mother asking for help, he would have allowed as a payback for Merlin's services to the crown.

"NOT NOW ARTHUR!" Morgana tried to push her magic against the door, she had been practicing; how hard it could be? (more than Uther gave it credit, that was for sure). But whatever the hell was keeping the door in place was wicked strong.

109

Nothing that Merlin did seem to work. He was crying with his forehead on the wound, Will lifeless body lying on the bed. Merlin straightened himself, listening the rain pound furiously the walls of his mother's house, Will's soul was still in his body; so there was one thing he still could do. He put both hand on the wound and promptly everything began to swirl in gold.

The warlock felt his mortal body was not strong enough to pull what he was trying to do. He could feel his life passing by his eyes and it would be gone before he could push enough life force in William's body for it to react. Merlin opened his eyes breathing very laboriously, the pupil was losing its colour and the blue began to fade to white.

110

Kilgharrah stood in his four paws and concentrated really hard, trying to break the powerful barriers the High Priest Emrys had placed in his head. He didn't know if what he was going to do would work… if Merlin were just a Dragonlord this would be much easy, but if the kid used his sight and was confident that could use his breath, then it should work. It had to work… the youngling was too important to just give his life for a lost cause.

111

Merlin gasped when he felt Kilgharrah breaking everything that could be broken in his body, _figuratively_ speaking. He cried in pain, feeling the bile in his throat and shaking as he was, he threw himself to puke where he wouldn't make a mess.

112

With the Great Dragon breaking any connection existent between Merlin and Merlin's magic, the last push Morgana forced of her magic into the door was enough to burst it open.

They found Will blinking really confused on the bed while Merlin was throwing up into some pot, Arthur ran to where the warlock was and if he noticed that his friend's eyes were completely white and that even some spots in his hair were lacking of colour too, he ignored it; in order to pay attention to the copious amount of blood Merlin was losing between the vomit and the one running from his nose. The brunette woman, Merlin's _mother; _he corrected himself took his son from his hands and took him some place he didn't even wanted to know, while Morgana, Lancelot and Gwen were helping William whom should be death for all intents and purposes.

113

The woman that sired the Great Warlock Emrys was sitting beside her son caressing his hair, humming a lullaby tune. Hunith had been crying so much, a white path could be seen marked on her cheeks. Morgana bit her lips. How do you console a mother whose son was lying practically comatose on a bed? She decided to approach the brunet woman and put softly a hand on her shoulder, trying to give her some comfort… which felt really cold.

"How is he?" Morgana asked Hunith very softly. The woman was a wreck waiting for his son to wake.

"Same." Was the non-committal answer she received. Hunith felt devoid, she didn't know what to do. In times like this she wanted to have the power to make Merlin stay still, so he would not come to harm, but sometimes she realized that even having powers herself, Merlin still would out power her easily. She could dream though.

"He will wake up, Hunith. _I know…"_ The poor woman only nodded with Merlin's hand in hers. Morgana squeezed the hand she had in Hunith's shoulder and trying to give the woman some comfort…

**TBC**


End file.
